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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27716684">The Hell Games</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteKingAlpha/pseuds/WhiteKingAlpha'>WhiteKingAlpha</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Betrayal, Blood and Violence, Bonding, Childhood Friends, Christianity, Competition, Curses, Demons, Enemies to Friends, Eventual Romance, F/M, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Grim Reapers, Immortality, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Loneliness, Madness, Magic, Monsters, Ninja, Psychological Trauma, RPG elements, Seven Deadly Sins, Smoking, Suggestive Themes, Swordfighting, Teamwork, Teen Romance, Undead, Underworld, Wealth, Witches, long journey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:02:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>91,732</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27716684</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteKingAlpha/pseuds/WhiteKingAlpha</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In the Underworld, the Grim Reaper creates a tournament where humans and spirits of the dead team up and battle one another in a battle royale through multiple realms to decide which team is the best. The winner of this competition will become the Reaper's successor and receive whatever wish that their heart desires. Among these humans is a young girl who involves herself in this battle in order to reclaim her deceased sister's soul and return her to life while also learning more about her own identity. Teaming up with a mysterious boy who claims to be Death's son and being given a powerful magic cloak of unknown origin she embarks on a journey through the dangerous realm of the Afterlife, making friends and facing many enemies who have their own agendas for the girl. The further they descend into the ethereal lands the greater the dangers lie for the girl and her companions. The only question that remains now is will she succeed or will she fail? There is only one way to find out. Please enjoy :)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Female Character/Original Female Character, Original Female Character/Original Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 1; The doors of death</p><p>Hello there, my name is Felicia Darkmoon but everyone just calls me Fellie. I'm 18 and I live in Japan. I am an orphan, so I've always been around orphanages and foster homes with my older sister Nell. She's always been there to protect me. Every foster home that we went to was worse than the last, the families had never liked Nell and she always shielded me from the more violent ones. She got particularly angry at one home and eventually we ran away. We lived on the streets for a few years after, scavenging for food, hiding from child services, and trying to stay alive. Sis was really good at stealing things like food or money, and she taught me how to defend myself from people who wanted to hurt me. This continued until Nell and I met a nice old lady who offered to adopt us. Sis didn't like her at first but after we learned that the woman owned a small fortune she happily accepted. For years we lived with our new mom who arranged for me to go to school while Nell worked many odd jobs. We felt like our lives had finally changed for the better. Then the old lady got a serious illness and died. That turned dark didn't it? Nell inherited her will and we kept the fortune, but it was harder for us since I had lost the only mother that I had ever known. Then my memories end there, sorry I should explain that. For some reason I can't remember events that happened after the old lady's death. It's like a large fog is in my head that's trying to hide something from me. Whatever it is I know that it is important to me and would explain the strange things that I have been seeing lately. Okay back to my story. Well about four months ago my sister was returning from work in her car and had been caught in a terrible crash. I went to the hospital to see her condition and discovered that she had died instantly in that crash. The will and fortune then went to me but I was too devastated to care, my sister had always seemed so invincible and full of life that I couldn't bare to see her dead and empty. I had to find a way to see her again. I'll admit that I started losing myself, I didn't attend my high school graduation, I stopped eating as much, and I grew distant from my friends. I started digging into the supernatural and followed leads on how to communicate with the dead. After about two months I finally found something.</p><p>It's rumored that their is a small village where people are experiencing paranormal activity every Halloween night. There is supposed to be a tradition where people actually have the power to go to the underworld and meet the souls of their dead loved ones. I didn't understand the tradition at the time, but I wanted to give it a shot. I wanted to speak to my dead sister's soul and maybe take her out of that world by force if I have to. Anyone else who would hear me talk like this would think I was crazy, maybe I am, maybe I'm not. I was desperate you know, I needed to find answers, why did my sister die that day and how to save her, the other on my missing memories and why do I have this weird skull charm that I always wore in my hair? I found it on my bed back when I was fifteen and something had stopped me from throwing it away, why was it there and who gave it to me? Hopefully I will find the answers tonight, wish me luck because I know I'll need it.</p><p>I made my way to the burial site, feeling very nervous. I didn't know if the rumors about this site were true but I had to see if it was or if it was a load of crap. I walked to past all of the graves and saw before me a huge set of double doors made of black rock. The doors were decorated in red and black skulls and the knobs were made of bronze, making it look as if it were rotting. It was pretty beautiful in a demonic sort of way. When I looked harder at it my head started to ache and my vision started to blur with red circles, I looked away and the pain stopped slightly. I then began to walk towards the doors but noticed that I wasn't alone because their was a boy sitting on a rock right near the door.</p><p>The boy's sudden appearance made me jump but not as much as his appearance. He looked like a street punk with a black jacket and hoodie and dark blue jeans. The jacket and hoodie had a skull icon engraved into them, making him look like gothic. The boy had short hair jelled down bowled style with pale skin and sharp black eyes with...yellow catlike pupils? He was pretty handsome though, in a troublemaker-bad boy sort of way. Was he going to go through the doors as well? The boy looked a little dangerous and she hesitated in interacting with him but he gave off such a lonely feeling that I couldn't help but try and befriend him.</p><p>The boy saw me staring at him and gave a brief nod. "Hey, are you going in or what?"</p><p>"What?" His question caught me by surprise as I didn't really expect him to address me first.</p><p>He sighed, obviously annoyed by my reaction. "I asked if you were going through the doors?"</p><p>I looked between him and the giant doors and tilted my head somewhat in confusion. "Is this the way to the Underworld?</p><p>"Duh, this is the Doors Of Death after all." He answered.</p><p>"Doors of Death?"</p><p>"Do I have to really explain? I'd have thought that you had known about it if you are here. This is the way to the underworld, you know the place where people go when they die. This is the only time that these doors will be open and the easiest way to enter. The Doors are also one of the most dangerous ways as anyone who stares at them like you did for long periods of time will have get their souls removed and absorbed by them.</p><p>My eyes widened in horror. "Wow, so your saying that I would have died if I stared at them any longer?"</p><p>"Yup."</p><p>"Good thing I stopped, are you the gatekeeper or something?" I asked.</p><p>He shrugged. "Something like that. Me and my siblings are tasked with allowing just about any mortal through. Make sure your ready to go because you won't be able to leave for sometime. Time is different in the Underworld, a day there could be a month out here.</p><p>I prepared herself physically and mentally. I was determined to find and bring my sister back to life and I wouldn't let anything get in my way, even if I had to go through Hell itself. How right I would soon be.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go."</p><p>The boy got off the rock and touched the door. The huge door opened with a loud creak and we walked through the Doors to the Underworld together. One way or another I was going to succeed and find answers that I sought, though I hadn't known at the time that my life was about to change and a long journey would await me. Wish me luck from here on out.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Cloak Of Dawn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie: On my search for the rumored crypt I encountered a young boy who acted as a guide to take people to the Underworld for some kind of event. I don't understand really what this means and if I should trust this boy but if it would lead to me seeing my sister again I didn't care. Wish me luck!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 2: The Cloak of Dawn</p><hr/><p>The two of us pushed through the heavy doors and entered into a crypt under the same description that I had could only describe as gloomy. It was quite large from the inside with old corpses wrapped in bandages resting in shelves. The place smelled of must and earth with cobwebs farther than the eye could see. I stayed close to the guide after brushing against on of the webs.</p><p>They ended up in a room with a circular table in the center with lit candles all around it. A large door resembling the Doors of Death stood behind the table with pulsing pink energy coming from it. The fresh breeze of air could be felt behind the door along with what she could describe as an ancient power flowed from the cracks in the door. I guessed that this was the true entrance to the Underworld.</p><p>The guide stopped over the table and motioned for me to join him. I warily did as he asked and looked at the table's center. A glowing orb floated from it and stopped before me. It was pulsing with welcoming energy that was urging me to touch it. The boy noticed this and explained it to me.</p><p>"Interesting. It seems to be reacting to you unlike it did the others. Must be something special about you. Before you can enter the Underworld we have to get you prepared for what's to come. Believe me, this place isn't friendly. There are dangers everywhere and if you aren't ready you will die. Since the cloak is reacting to you I guess you might as well use it." He gestured to the orb. "Hold out your hand and it should come to you. That way you won't become a liability if we encounter trouble."</p><p>I hesitated for a moment before holding my hand toward the orb. It immediately flew at me and surrounded me in purple light. I felt a rush of power fill my body. I looked down and noticed that my clothes were changing and morphing into something else. When the light died down I was now wearing an elegant pitch black cloak that went to my knees and a black miniskirt with my combat boots being the only thing of my normal clothes remaining.</p><p>I looked myself over in amazement. The boy took his hand down from his eyes after the blinding light and nodded in approval at my attire. "Looks like you really are special compared to other mortals. That outfit you're wearing is called the Cloak of Dawn. Its an ancient cloak created by a brilliant magician that increases the user's magical and physical energies. It was lost along time ago but it just appeared here for an unknown reason and was kept it here ever since. Guess it was just waiting for someone like you to claim it. With this you'll have a fighting chance against the creatures within the realms."</p><p>"The Cloak of Dawn?"I repeated as I continued to admire myself. A wicked thought came into my mind as I turned to my guide and posed for him. "So how do I look? Pretty attractive right?"</p><p>He blushed and looked away in embarrassment. "You look fine. How about we focus on getting you through the gates now."</p><p>I pouted at his lack of expression. "Alright. You aren't any fun."</p><p>"I'm not here to entertain you. By the way my name is Aero. You already know I'm a guide here. What about you?"</p><p>"My name's Felicia Darkmoon but most people just call me Fellie. It's nice to meet you Aero." I answered politely.</p><p>"If you think so princess. Come on, let's move." The boy named Aero said as he walked to the big door. I stood next to him as he pushed them open. The fresh air blasted against me and I embraced my cloak for warmth.</p><p>This was it. All my searching was about to end here. I took one last look back knowing that it would be awhile before I saw my world again. I would either find my sister in the land of the dead or not at all. I took a deep breathe, gathered my courage and followed Aero through the open door. And as I went forward, I knew that my life would never be the same ever again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Land Of The Dead</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; After going through the Doors of Death I discovered a mysterious room with a ball of purple light in the center. The mysterious boy named Aero told me the basics about different types of souls and made me absorb the light ball, it turned into a beautiful purple cloak around my body. According to Aero, the cloak is a weapon that is supposed to keep me safe in the Underworld. I don't know what that means, but I'm about to find out. Wish me luck, I might need it.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 3:The Land Of The Dead</p><hr/><p>The underworld was completely unexpected, the whole place looked like a forest. The place was full of a strange white glow all around and in the trees, and the trees were all colored black and brown. I found all this confusing, the rumors were that the underworld was supposed to have no trees, cracked grounds, orange and red skies, and full of souls walking to one place. But this place wasn't like that at all, it was more happier. When I looked in the sky I saw small balls of light flying towards a enormous black castle with huge spikes jutting out of the sides.</p><p>"What are those wisps in the sky there?"</p><p>Aero looked to where I pointed. "The souls of the dead."</p><p>I cocked my head curiously. "That's what a souls looks like?</p><p>"Yeah, all souls in the world are identified as small wisps of light. The colors of the souls represents what type of person they are, good, bad, normal, stubborn, cold, etc. The souls house the personality and secrets of everyone, their past and present, the secret names of that person, and the history of that person from generation to generation. Without a soul, one cannot exist in this world."</p><p>I thought deeply about his words. "That's pretty interesting."</p><p>Aero nodded. "Use the cloak to see my soul, all you have to do is concentrate on me and it should work."</p><p>I closed my eyes and concentrated on Aero directly. I was surprised to find how easy I could do it, in a minute I was able to see Aero's soul. His soul was surprisingly white and cold. It felt calming and empty, etched with loneliness yet with a strong determination mixed into it. I tried to look deeper into it but that was all I could tell, as if he were deliberately hiding his feelings from me.</p><p>"You found it?" Asked Aero.</p><p>I didn't answer immediately and Aero to give me a curious look. I nodded quickly to hide my attempt at invasion. "Yeah"</p><p>"Then let's go, we need to get to that castle."</p><p>I looked at him in confusion. "Who does that castle belong to?"</p><p>"My dad, the Grim Reaper." The boy answered.</p><p>I jumped in shock at that. "The Grim Reaper? He's your dad?"</p><p>Aero put a hand to his temple and rubbed it. "Don't remind me, come on we have to continue onward."</p><p>"That's kind of important to know! I didn't think that the Grim Reaper could have a kid that looked so human! Why didn't you mention that before?"</p><p>He gave her a direct look. "You didn't ask."</p><p>I could tell from looking at him that he didn't want to discuss it so I decided not to push the matter further. Instead I went with him, ready to go to Death's castle and find the secrets that lie within my soul.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Reaper's Son</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie;Traveling to the Underworld, Aero explained to me the concept of souls and their importance. He also revealed the true deepness of his soul and his identity, Aero is the son of the Grim Reaper himself. Now we are heading through the underworld, which is a forest by the way, and are about to go to the castle of death. The adventure is about to start, wish us luck, that's right Aero too.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 4:The Reaper's Son</p><hr/><p>Me and Aero were going through the forest of the dead, heading towards Death's castle. I still couldn't get over the fact that Aero was the Grim Reaper's son, I had always thought that there was a reason why his eyes looked scary and demonic and now I knew out the answer. As we were going closer to the castle, creatures appeared out of the trees and blocked our way. The monsters looked like a cross between plants and fairies, only child sized. One looked like a elf with leaves all over his body and carried a stick glowing with green energy. The other looked like a sunflower with eyes and a mouth full of nasty yellow sharp teeth. The two monsters looked like a gardener's worst nightmare come to life, both monsters were advancing toward them slowly. I wondered how I was going to protect myself since I had no weapon but suddenly Aero put himself between me and them and told me to stay here so he would take care the monsters.</p><p>"Get back, I'll handle this."</p><p>I looked at him as if he were crazy. "How? Those things look too dangerous to take on barehanded. We should just run."</p><p>Aero smiled coldly at me. "Please, those idiots won't even be able to scratch me than kill me. And I'm not barehanded."</p><p>As he said this Aero held his hand out and closed his eyes. His hand was being covered in blackness that began taking a form similar to a long pole. When I looked a little closer I saw a blade come out of the side of the pole. Aero had just created a scythe that looked very similar to a Grim Reaper's scythe, a replica maybe? The weapon was beautiful in a deadly and hellish way, I hoped that Aero knew how to use it. I wasn't disappointed when he started swinging the scythe around him at impossible speed and readied it in an offensive stance. The monsters must have sensed that Aero was prepared to fight because they started to charge toward him. Grinning psychotically, Aero charged to meet his opponents. He blocked and deflected their attacks easily and moved behind them with incredible speed. Aero killed the elf monster with a quick slash of the scythe, cutting it in half while a wispy soul flew out of its corpse. The other blocked him with some kind of energy field and tried to bite him but Aero sidestepped and shot purple energy from his hand at point blank range, knocking it to the ground. Aero moved with great speed toward the stunned monster and ended it with a great swing downward. I couldn't believe how deadly and quick Aero was. He had been right about handling them. Aero's weapon disappeared in a wisp of smoke and he shouted at me urgently.</p><p>"Hurry now, hold your hand out and absorb their souls!"</p><p>I looked at him blankly. "Why?"</p><p>"Just do it!"</p><p>I shrugged and did what he said. The souls flew right went into me and I felt another surge of power flow within me. I felt stronger than I had ever been before. I was going to ask Aero what had happened, but he started to explain anyway.</p><p>"You got your first touch of magic."</p><p>"Magic?" I repeated curiously.</p><p>Aero further explained. "It's energy that exists humans like you and the monsters that exist in this world, it also lets you survive combat. The first one you got lets you attack by summoning the soul to help you, the other protects you with a powerful shield that can help you take enemy attacks. The more you fight the stronger your magic becomes, and the more monster souls you absorb the more spells you'll have access to."</p><p>I smirked. "That's pretty cool. Sounds like an RPG."</p><p>"I need to give you something."</p><p>Aero opens his hand and in it was a set of double guns that he presented to me. The guns were purple and had skull marks on the handles. They were beautiful dual pistols and they felt right at home in my hands. In the human world I had been taught to shoot by my sister Nell at the age of 8 during our street living days. I was relieved to hold such familiar weapons in my hands to protect myself in this dangerous place. I put the guns in her my and readied myself to continue to the castle.</p><p>"Let's go, after you."</p><p>Aero raised an eyebrow, "You're too kind, princess."</p><p>We continued on, ready for whatever awaited us next at Death's castle.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Hell Games Begin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; Hello again, me and Aero went into the forest in order to reach Death's castle. I got to learn some things about Aero and his amazing and supernatural power and he gave me some gifts, mostly two twin pistols that for some reason I understand perfectly. I think they may be a key to my past and I have to use them so I can find out the truth. Well it's time to see what happens now, wish us luck.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 5:The Hell Games Begin</p><hr/><p>Aero and I had finally reached our destination and what was there really surprised me. There was a huge crowd of people and monsters of all kinds. I saw a giant hawk monster, a huge rock golem, a werewolf, and more freakier things that could only be found in myths and legends. It almost didn't feel real to me if I wasn't standing there watching it all. Everyone was standing in front of the castle entrance, apparently waiting for something to happen. I wondered what.</p><p>"What exactly is everyone waiting on?</p><p>Aero shrugged. "Their waiting for my Dad to start his speech.</p><p>I tilted my head in confusion. "Speech, what do you mean?"</p><p>"You'll find out in a little bit, look there he is."</p><p>I looked up at the top of the castle and saw a man standing on it. The man was ghostly pale like Aero, and with the same strikingly handsome face. He had long white hair that went all the way to his back and black-yellow eyes like Aero too. He was wearing a T-shirt with the words ''Shinigami" on the front and black jeans with sandals. He looked like a complete nutjob, but he seemed friendly enough yet I noticed Aero shaking his head and covering his eyes in what looked like embarrassment.</p><p>I smirked in amusement and gestured up to the man. "That's your dad?"</p><p>Aero sighed in shame. "Yeah, don't remind me. Why did he have to wear that shirt?"</p><p>"I don't know, he looks pretty cool."</p><p>The son of Death gave me an annoyed look. "I don't need your sympathy."</p><p>The man jumped from the castle and landed on thin air with a large grin on his face. He had a air of humor to him like a child who played a funny prank on someone. For the all powerful ruler of the underworld, he didn't really seem to fit at all.</p><p>"Hello all you Soul Masters gathered down there, I'm glad to meet you all and thank you for coming to our world. You all know me as Death, the Grim Reaper, though I just go by Shino. Like Shinogami, yeah it's an old joke. Well as I was saying I am the ruler of the Underworld and I assume that you have come to join our special event, correct?"</p><p>There were shouts of approval and excitement, apparently everyone knew what was going on except me. It all seemed so mysterious and so I continued listening to what this guy was saying.</p><p>Death nodded in approval. "Indeed, I know that you all are. Alright then it is time to start it up. For a month and a half there will be a competition that will show us how each of you work as a team. This competition is known as The Hell Games, it is a battle royale where each of you will partner up with the souls of the dead and fight one another till the enemy team is defeated. The goal of this game is simple, you must go through 6 realms in the underworld. The teams will have to reach the 6th realm and race to a large mountain and climb to the top. Once there you will fight the last remaining team and after defeating them, then you get to fight a very special opponent, me. If you defeat me, you win the games and get to have one wish granted. Pretty Cool huh?"</p><p>The crowd all gasped and looked surprised at this, so did I. We would have to fight the freaking Grim Reaper for a wish, that sounded like a lot to swallow. I didn't really know what this whole tournament thing was about, but the more I heard about it the more excited I felt. If I competed then it would make me finding my sister so much easier, I could just wish her back to life. And I could also find out why I couldn't remember anything after the old woman's death. If me and Aero worked together, maybe we could make it to the end and win.</p><p>"The rules of The Hell Games are also simple, if your partner is killed in battle you will only have a few seconds to find another one. If you cannot find another partner by then you will be eliminated and forceably teleported back to your world with no memory of the competition. You will then have to wait another few years before you will be allowed to compete again. You will also be able to team up and form a party with other Soul Masters and their assets. Yes you will be able to partner up with other participants to win and they can help you fight against me in the end, the more you throw at me the better. They must be strong though, because I won't hold back against any of you in the end, but don't let that stop you."</p><p>More people gasped and looked stunned. Some even looked excited and amazed, while others seemed fearful and nervous.</p><p>Death laughed at their expressions. "And one more bonus that you can get, I will give each of you a special tool that will let you find special requests from me. I call it a quest system, during the games I will send and give you updated quests that will allow each of you to gain more experience points. I know that it might sound like a game but you can evolve your assets and increase their strength and powers as well as give them access new abilities. Make sure you fight a lot of the local realm souls and monsters and evolve your teams to the best of you can be, it's the only chance you'll have to avoid elimination and defeat me in the end. And one last bit of advice, the more realms that you enter the stronger the monster will be, so you'd better get stronger fast. Be careful out there and make sure that none of you die, it would be a shame if you became a spirit just like your partners. I already have a lot of souls to guide to the afterlife and I don't want to add anymore of you because you guys ignored my warnings."</p><p>Death then clapped his hands to get their attention. "All right then, it's time to begin. The games will start in 15 minutes, so you should get ready and form your party for an early advantage because when everything begins you'll all be trying to tear each other apart like animals. The 15 minutes shall start now!"</p><p>Everyone started to run around and partner up with their friends or other people. There was a lot of talking and yelling, leaving nothing but chaos as people practically beat one another out of the way. I wasn't sure if me and Aero should have asked someone to join up or not until Aero spoke up suddenly.</p><p>"Hey, I got a offer for you."</p><p>I looked over at him curiously. "What kind of offer?"</p><p>Aero gave me a wolfish grin could give a bear chills down its spine. "How about I become your partner and help you win this thing in exchange for your helping me become the next Grim Reaper in ruling this world."</p><p>I looked at him blankly and tried to see if he was joking or not. I couldn't tell so I just shrugged. "Uh, fine I guess. But what I need your help with is locating my sister's soul. If I help you become the new Grim Reaper will you let me bring her back to life?</p><p>The boy shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah alright if I'm able to I will. Now shake my hand and the contract will be formed."</p><p>I shook his hand and felt a surge of electricity that ran from his hand to my body. I could hear his heart beat in synch with my own and felt like we were beginning to connect on a spiritual level. I could still feel the coldness in Aero's heart, but I felt like it had loosened a little. Maybe Aero was could feel my heartbeat and sense my emotions as well which was making him open up to me. I was just thinking about this a voice made caught my attention.</p><p>"Hey there beautiful, want to partner up with us?"</p><p>I turned around and was met by a tall boy standing behind me. The boy had short brown wavy hair and almost sparkling blue eyes. He was wearing a white school uniform and a blue tie, he had dark-blue jeans and brown shoes. He was very attractive, so much so that I blushed and had to look away. Boys had always approached me before but never with the confidence that this guy had demonstrated. Suddenly Aero stood in front of me and pushed me behind him protectively.</p><p>"I don't think so, she is my partner."</p><p>The boy smirked arrogantly. "I believe that I was asking the lady. Judging by the way you're protecting her, you must be her <strong>Assist</strong>. You don't feel dead to me though.</p><p>Aero glared at him coldly. "You're the one who's gonna be dead if you don't stop harassing my Soul Master.</p><p>"Don't think so. Hey Greivious, think I need you over here."</p><p>The air felt tingly and tasted of metal, The source of that feeling was coming from a gray robot, it was generating this energy. The robot was big, had giant human hands, and had a square head with a big round eye that had purple electricity inside it. It was came us and stopped next to the Boy, it must be his partner.</p><p>The boy gestured to it. "This is Greivious, I wouldn't start any trouble with me or him. He can shock you with 100 volts by just touching you."</p><p>"Won't stop me from slaughtering you both if you don't back off!" Aero growled.</p><p>I had to do something before this turned bloody. I got between the two boys with my arms out to separate them. "Everyone calm down! Aero it's okay."</p><p>"You sure?"</p><p>I nodded. "Yeah, let's join them in a party. They can increase the chances of us surviving this Game."</p><p>Aero tilted his head in serious thought. Then he nodded grudgingly. "Fine, but if they slow us down or die I'm not helping them."</p><p>"Name's Alex." The boy introduced himself.</p><p>I bowed her my head. "Hello, my name's Fellie Darkmoon. The brooding guy here is Aero.</p><p>Alex took my hand and gave it a gentle kiss. "Fellie, what a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."</p><p>I blushed. "Thanks, that's kind of you."</p><p>Aero glared at him. "Hey! If your gonna work with us then there's some rules you gotta follow."</p><p>"Like what?"</p><p>"First off, no sexual harassing my Partner. Second, no flirting or kissing the hand of said Partner. And third, if you fight a monster tougher than you, you gotta fight it yourself. If things get dangerous we're running away. You'll get no help from me whatsoever. Follow these rules and I we will get along fine." Explained Aero.</p><p>Alex sighed. "Alright I'll stay away, but if you start bleeding to death and get into trouble don't ask for my help either."</p><p>Alex and Greivious walk off to somewhere else, giving Aero and me time to talk.</p><p>I touched his shoulder. "Why'd you mess with him like that. That monster with him could have killed you."</p><p>Aero raised an eyebrow at me coolly. "I could have taken him easily, I've fought constructs like him plenty of times anyway."</p><p>I smiled at his words. "Right, just keep on with that tough guy act Dead boy."</p><p>"Whatever, Princess." He countered.</p><p>The crowd was beginning to come back together toward the palace, that meant the games were about to begin. There was a flying skeleton bird in the air with weird square technology that they were holding. They dropped them to the ground to everyone and I got a closer look at the thing. It was a blank screen with with the outline of the forest on it. It didn't really seem that helpful to me really but I kept it in my pocket for safe keeping anyway. Death stood up from a sitting position on the castle, his smile was bigger than before.</p><p>"Finally, it's time to begin. Is everyone ready?"</p><p>The crowd started to cheer and head toward the starting line.</p><p>Death smirked and lifted a hand. "Alright then, the games will begin in 3."</p><p>Alex stood next to me while his partner stood next to Aero.</p><p>"2"</p><p>I was ready to run, when everything started I knew things were gonna get chaotic. Better to be prepared then being run over.</p><p>"1"</p><p>All of my questions were gonna be answered here, I would find my sister, help Aero, and survive this competition to get that wish. I would not let any of these other teams defeat me, not when I had searched so long!</p><p>"Let the 2nd annual Hell Games, Begin!"</p><p>Then all hell broke loose.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Elderly Priest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; We had traveled to Death's palace and found out he was about to have a ultimate, awesome tournament where only the best Soul Masters and their partners compete in challenges and battle one another in epic battles while going through 6 realms. The one who reaches the final world and defeats the final opponents get to have a wish granted by the Grim Reaper. Aero and I made a deal to team up and help each other out, we also entered in a alliance with a boy called Rick and his giant robot Grievious. Now the Hell Games have finally started and it's our mission to win it all, I feel that my answers are ahead and sooner or later, I will find them. Wish me luck!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 6:The Elderly Priest</p>
<hr/><p>Me, Aero, Rick and Grievious had started off rough when the games started. Everyone was pushing and shoving in different directions in order to find the portal, our team started off in the direction of North to where everything was denser. We chose to find a different path from all the fighting and find a way to reach the first portal on our own. I was worried about what we would have to do if we encountered monsters or other contestants. Could we sneak by them without fighting. I also had a question that I wanted to know so I turned to ask Aero.</p><p>"Hey Aero, what exactly are Soul Masters anyway?"</p><p>Aero gave me an annoyed glance and sighed. "You're asking that now? Okay, a Soul Master is what you and pretty boy over there are called. Every player in the Games who have monsters or souls for fighting partners are known as Soul Masters. In your world there such people who can see and interact with creatures in the Underworld who cross over. According to my father each Master has a unique soul and they can weaponize the power within that soul to battle alongside their allies and give them strength. In order for a monster to reach it's full power they need a Soul Master who is able to be in perfect sync with them, it's something called Soul Synthesis. Since you are my partner, that means we should be able to form this bond regularly too. Not that I need it anyway, I'm the strongest one here.</p><p>Alex chuckled at his bold words. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that."</p><p>"Be nice you two." I warned. Though I thought a lot about what Aero had said and everything made sense. It explained why in my world I could see monsters walking among people and no one else could. That is why I believed so much in the supernatural and started my search, why I thought I could find my sister's soul. I was one of these Soul Masters the whole time.</p><p>Our group continued through the forest until we were suddenly ambushed by strange wolf like monsters. They had purple fur and black claws, their fangs were yellow and their eyes bloodshot. These monsters had a horribly malicious aura, filled with blood lust and madness. No doubt they were searching for someone to tear apart.</p><p>"So much for stealth." Said Alex.</p><p>"Hellhounds!" Aero shouted</p><p>I glanced at him in concern. "What?"</p><p>"There wolf-like creatures that my dad used to hunt for any soul that had recently died but won't pass on. They devour the soul and take them so he can decide were they go. The innocent go to heaven, the killers go to hell, these things are the ones who decides their fate. Something is wrong though, they shouldn't attack me since I'm Death's son. They must have been starved or something."</p><p>Alex got into a readied stance. "Whatever going on, they seem like they want a fight."</p><p>I readied myself as well. "No choice, we're gonna have to fight them in order to pass."</p><p>Alex and Aero nodded. "Yeah, I'm on it!"</p><p>Aero summoned his dark scythe and Rick ordered Grievious into attack mode. I took out my guns and checked the clip, but before I could Aero suddenly told me something.</p><p>"You don't have to worry about Ammo or clips, the guns are unlimited as long as you have energy left over. One hint that I should mention though, you can turn one of your guns into other weapons but you have to figure it out on your own."</p><p>The Hellhounds attacked and our group charged them. Aero swung his scythe and killed three of them, while Grievious blasted three more with purple lightning. I accurately shot at one of them and found out that these bullets weren't like regular bullets, they were covered in purple energy and when they hit the hound they exploded on impact and turned the monster to dust. I was quiet amazed at this, so I decided to combine my gun training and whatever magic was contained within the guns to kill four more of the monsters. Soon there were none left and I only had one scratch on my left hand from when one of the hound jumped at me and nicked me with its fang.</p><p>I examined the cut curiously. "One of them managed to cut me when it lunged for me. Am I going to be alright?"</p><p>Aero came over to check it as well. "Let me take care of it. A Hellhound bite is poisonous to humans even if it was just a graze."</p><p>Aero examined the scratch, then he inhaled and breathed on it where somehow the wound started closing. In seconds the scratch was nothing more than a faint scar, then there wasn't anything at all. A sudden feeling went through me, I felt like this had happened before but I couldn't remember when. Aero was a mystery that I really wanted to solve. I was going to ask what that was, but Aero's eyes were telling me to drop it.</p><p>"Thanks, I feel way better."</p><p>Alex laughed. "How romantic of you."</p><p>Aero growled at him. "Shut up! Can we please just keep going."</p><p>Our group continued to where we hoped was the right way. Suddenly there was a loud growling noise and it grew the more we continued until we started to hear the sounds of someone fighting. We eventually find the source and see a old man fighting against a bird shaped skeleton. The man had low snow white hair and was dressed in a robe that resembled a priest's robe that you'd see in a church. The man looked like a priest, but he was wielding some savage looking dual swords that he was using to hold back the bird skeleton. He looked as if he was getting tired with every attack.</p><p>Aero studied the flying bird. "A Bonebird, didn't expect to see those here."</p><p>"Old guy must of pissed it off." Alex guessed.</p><p>"We should help him." I replied.</p><p>Aero shrugged. "Fine, stay close."</p><p>Alex nudged me with his shoulder in a joking manner. "I'll handle this princess, just watch. Grievious, let's go!"</p><p>They attacked the monster together and surrounded it. I stood in front of the man while Aero and Grievious attacked the bird. It attacked them with beak and talons, managing to scratch Aero's chest with it's talons and knocked Grievious down. Aero's jacket was covered in blood and the Bonebird kept going for him, smelling the blood and getting more and more hyper. Aero was doing his best to hold the thing off, but he was getting pushed back.</p><p>The monster finally was able to knock him down and pin him to the ground, ready to spear him with it's beak. I shot a bullet at it to draw it's attention, then Aero created a dark sword and impaled the bird through it's bony chest. The monster started to disappear and both me and Alex absorbed it's soul. One of my guns transformed into a Japanese katana while Alex now held a machete-like sword.</p><p>I marveled at the weapon. "A sword mode? That's awesome!"</p><p>Aero nodded in thanks to me. "Thanks for the assist, but I could handle it."</p><p>The old man walked up to us with a smile. "That was very impressive, you Soul Masters really helped this old man out of a bind."</p><p>"Who are you, old man? Folks your age shouldn't go piss of something like that." Asked Alex</p><p>The man laughed. "You are correct. My name is Ty, I'm one of the head priests of Sinjo village. Nice to meet fellow competitors here."</p><p>I returned the old man's smile. "My name is Fellie Darkmoon, that's Aero, and this is Alex. You're in this Game too?"</p><p>Ty nodded. "Yes, I am competing by myself. It was nice of you to help me, I hope we can meet again."</p><p>Alex gave him a goodbye wave. "You sure you don't need a bodyguard, your kinda too old to be fighting freaking demonic birds and whatever else alone."</p><p>The priest shook his head. "Thank you, but I'm tougher then I look. We may meet again but we might be rivals then. I follow the God's voice and wherever it says to go I shall follow. I hope that I will meet you all again. May god bless your travels."</p><p>The old man disappeared in a cloud of darkness and the only thing that remained was a piece of his robe.</p><p>"Okay...that was weird. Anyway let's keep going." Alex said.</p><p>I nodded. "Let's go."</p><p>We continued on to the direction of the portal, while I was still thinking about the priest. I had a feeling that we would meet him again, maybe even have to fight him one day. Ty felt like an important key in this competition and I wanted to find out why.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Rival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; Last time you saw us we had just saved an old priest from being turned into bird food by a giant bird made of bones. I felt like the priest was someone that I knew and I also felt like he was very important to my future. He left us and we continued on our path, don't know if it's the right way but at least we're going somewhere right? Wish us luck, we may really need it this time.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 7:Rival</p><hr/><p>Our group continued to follow the map that Death had given them. According to the map, we were getting closer and closer to the portal. We had been attacked by more monsters, but thanks to me and Alex's new weapons we were able to survive each attack. It wasn't easy because the monsters were getting smarter and most were trying to ambush us. Our weapons and Aero's powers were the only reasons why we were still alive to begin with.</p><p>"Sorry you have to keep saving us, I know I may seem like a burden to you whenever we have to fight because of my lack of experience." I apologized.</p><p>"Don't worry about it. All of this fighting should be making you stronger so until you get the experience I don't mind protecting you. I've still gotta fulfill my promise to you after all." Aero told me.</p><p>"I'm surprised just how strong you are, guess I shouldn't have underestimated you." Alex said, jokingly.</p><p>"You're better than I thought too. Just remember the rule, you stay out of my way in battle and you do the same."</p><p>"Whatever."</p><p>There was a loud growling sound and a huge monster appeared in front of us. It had a turtle shell with spikes jetting from its back, a giant turtle head filled with shark teeth, and blue-leathery skin. It had bloodshot eyes that gleamed with hunger as it leered at us.</p><p>"Watch out, it's a Torquoise!" Aero said.</p><p>''A Torquoise?" I asked.</p><p>"I've heard of them, aren't they supposed to be peaceful?" Alex said.</p><p>"They usually are, until someone messes with them that is. When you get them angry, they hold one hell of a grudge. I'll bet it got into a fight with someone and it's still enraged from combat." Aero explained.</p><p>The monster went into a rage and charged us like a bull, forcing us to roll out off the way. I brought out my guns and shot at the turtle, but my bullet was deflected off it's strong shell. I was pushed out of the way by Aero just as the monster snapped it's massive jaws at my body. Aero swung his scythe at the thing's head but it moves just in time. The Torquoise used it's head like a club to slam into Aero, sending him flying against a tree. Alex rushed and stabbed the monster in the eye, causing it to lash out and nearly take his arm off in a rage. Grievious shot electricity at the monster's shell and was able to blow off chunk of its shell.</p><p>That was a very bad decision, the monster raged out even more and started to glow red. The air started to feel hot and the monster's body began to steam and bubble. The shell heated up more and more while the inside of the turtle's mouth glowed orange. It inhaled deeply and exhaled a stream of fire at us, but we were able to dodge just in time. The earth around the turtle was scorched and smoking. Alex patted out a flame that had appeared on his shoe and yelled in horror.</p><p>''What the hell, it can cast fire spells?"</p><p>''This one shouldn't be able to. Maybe the thing that attacked it was a fire creature. I think it probably absorbed its soul but the two seem incompatible which is why it looks like this. " Aero explained.</p><p>''How do we stop it?"I asked.</p><p>''If it can cast a fire spell, then a water or wind spells l would be a better solution. Lucky for us I have a better spell that could work."</p><p>Aero closed his eyes and started speaking in an unknown language. The air started to chill and ice began to materialize from nothing. It condensed and formed into a long spear, Aero held his hand out and the spear followed his movement. He pulled his arm back and launched the spear at the turtle, impaling it through the head and killing it instantly. The force behind the projectile sending it spinning away into the forest.</p><p>We found the corpse and absorbed both its fire soul and water soul. I kind of felt sorry for killing the creature but I knew it would have hurt us had we not done so. I felt a change go through my body as the fire soul attuned itself to my own. Though unlike the other times I absorbed souls this felt different.</p><p>''I feel weird compared to the other souls I absorbed What's happening? I asked.</p><p>''You can now cast low-level spells" said Aero.</p><p>''How?" Alex and I asked.</p><p>''Just think about that spark of mana that you felt, all you have to do is make it flow into your mind and direct it to a specific part of your body. Depending on the spell's element you will feel a different sensation while building up mana. If it's a fire spell then your mana will heat up, if it is a water spell then your mana will feel cool. Sometimes you can even merge multiple sensations together to create a combo spell of different elements. For now lets just work on getting you used to magic."</p><p>I nodded and followed his instructions. I began to feel the mana inside me grow hot and spread to my hands. A tiny fireball appeared in my palm while a sphere of water appeared in Alex's hand. I was pleased with how much we were developing and threw my fireball at a tree, which exploded on impact. Alex used his other hand and stretched the water like a rope, then he used it to put out the flames. We both exchanged looks before smiling at our newfound powers.</p><p>As we continued on our way we tried to find other uses to our spells. With some experimenting I learned that I could shape my flames into a shield to protect myself and could surround myself with fire hot enough to scorch earth. I also found out that I could summon the flames by my willpower and I could combine it with my bullets to create exploding incendiary bullets. Alex could shape the water into spears, shields, turn the water acidic, and could freeze it solid. We absorbed more powers from defeated monsters and I had quickly began to gain over other elements like Light, Darkness, and Thunder. Alex gained control over ghostly parasites that tore monsters apart from the inside out (which was really gross to watch).</p><p>As we finished off another monster we heard a huge explosion close to our position. We moved toward the source and we saw a group of people lying unconscious on the ground, with blood surrounding them and littering the earth. Thankfully it wasn't human blood but of their monster partners. Their bodies were torn to shreds and eviscerated all over the ground and beginning to fade into particles. I was horrified at the brutality and wondered what could have beaten so many Masters like this, though my question was quickly answered as we noticed two figures standing in the center of the carnage.</p><p>Two girls were standing over the corpse of a dismembered monster. One of the girls was a redhead with a blue coat over a red corset with black pants, black finger less gloves and long black stockings with black boots. The other was covered in blood but I could still make out a lot of her features. The girl had bright pink hair that went to her shoulders, a playful look in her green eyes, a white and green sailor school uniform and black stockings and heels. They both were frowning and talking to one another in a upset manner.</p><p>''Lady Abelia, forgive me but this is boring. They couldn't even put up a decent fight and I tried to hold back but they died too easily." The pink haired girl said to the other girl.</p><p>''Such a shame, I thought that at least one of them would have lasted longer after all that bluster but I suppose I was mistaken. It seems as if we must continue our search." The girl called Abelia said in a disappointed tone.</p><p>''Yes Milady." The girl bowed.</p><p>Finally the two took notice of our group. The girl, Abelia looked us up and down while her partner reached inside the back of her stocking with a cautious glare. They approached with a air of confidence while stepping over the fallen competitors, like they thought that they were trash or something. For some reason that made me anger as I shouted at the two.</p><p>''Who are you?''</p><p>''Who we are doesn't really concern you." said Abelia.</p><p>''I'll say it again, who the hell are you."</p><p>''Dear me, it seems that this girl doesn't know how to watch her tongue around royalty. Shall I take care of her, Milady?" Her partner asked.</p><p>''In a moment Penelope, I'd like to test them first. Could you kindly introduce me?" Abelia asked.</p><p>''Yes Milady! Hello there, the lady who you are lucky enough to speak to is Miss Abelia Valentine, the 11 head of the Valentine family and the greatest house of Japan. I am her loyal and faithful servant Penelope Luta, my creature-type is a Memphtis.</p><p>''A Memphtis? I asked.</p><p>''Correct, we serve our Masters until death and follow all of their commands effectively. My lady and I are looking for someone who can provide us an exciting challenge, someone who can match us blow by blow, blade by blade. You see my lady excels at every sport and skill that royalty are entrusted to learn. She has never had a rival who she could test herself against and has never had any fun while doing those activities. We have joined the Games in order to find the perfect opponent and if we battle to the end then we can duel Death and get our wish."</p><p>''Looking for a strong opponent? That sounds interesting." Aero said.</p><p>''Hey, don't show sympathy to the enemy!" Alex shouted at him.</p><p>''It is quite alright, we hope that one of you can step up and provide us with this challenge. The others here have failed the test and the penalty for disappointing us was the death of their partners." Penelope said, smiling.</p><p>''Enough talk! Which of you will accept our challenge? Abelia said, impatiently.</p><p>''I will." said Alex.</p><p>''What!" Me and Aero said at the same time.</p><p>''Don't worry, I'll handle this and then we can get back to our searching for the right path. Come on Grievious."</p><p>''I hope that you can entertain me." Penelope said as she pulled out her hand from her stocking and held a long dagger. How she had that in her stocking I didn't know, but from her stance she seemed to know how to use it.</p><p>''Here we go then! Go get her Grievious!"</p><p>The robot charged with electricity in its fists and swinging them powerfully. Penelope elegantly dodged each one of his attacks and jumped back to gain distance. Grievious shot a energy bolt at her, which was deflected easily by Penelope's dagger. It must have been made out of some really strong material. Grievious swung at her again but its fist was suddenly caught by Penelope with one hand, she didn't even feel the electricity that the robot was creating around the appendage. She lifted it by the arm with incredible strength for her size and tossed the robot through a tree. It got back up a bit dazed, then shot another deadly bolt at the girl. Penelope disappeared in a blur and dodged the attack, then blurred again in front of Grievious. She kicked it and sent the poor robot flying back.</p><p>''Grievious! Rick shouted with concern.</p><p>''This is boring, Milady can I finish it now?" Penelope yawned.</p><p>''Go on, do it."</p><p>''It's not over yet." Rick yelled.</p><p>The robot got back up and was sparking all over with energy. All of the electricity that it was generating inside itself was being focused into one place, its heart. Grievious got back up with determination and shocked the air around itself. Penelope sighed and readied her weapon as the robot charged her, swinging at her again. Penelope slashed upward and cut the robot's arm off. It recoiled a bit but still attacked by firing off another bolt, which she once again deflected.</p><p>''Don't you get it yet, it's futile to keep trying. I respect you spirit but you can't harm me. So just give up and die already machine!"</p><p>Penelope stabbed Grievious in its heart, causing the robot to fall to its knees. Suddenly it grabbed her arm and crushed her in a bear hug, discharging more of it's energy into her. By stopping her from moving, the robot hoped that she wouldn't escape and get killed by the nuclear-like energy being released from it's heart. But it had another idea, one that would most likely kill them both and kick it's master right out of the competition, but it was worth the risk. Grievious generated all the power it had into it's heart so it could overload. The heart started to glow red and the electricity started to come out more dangerously.</p><p>''Grievious, what are you doing?!" Alex asked.</p><p>''I think it's going to blow itself up and take her with it." Aero said.</p><p>''No, don't do it!"</p><p>The robot looked once more time at it's partner and seemed to have a happy glint in it's eye. Grievious couldn't talk but Alex knew in his mind that it was saying how great of a partner he was and he was sorry that Alex couldn't get his wish. It was happy that it got to meet him and wished him good luck on his mortal life, it wanted Alex to be safe and to know that it would always be with him in spirit. Then Grievious closed it's eye and exploded in a large blast of energy that blinded everyone. When the smoke cleared, Grievious was nothing but scraps and parts.</p><p>''Grievious, no!" Alex shouted, horrified.</p><p>To make matters worse Penelope was still alive without a scratch on her. Somehow the explosion didn't do anything at all to her, she wasn't even breathing hard. She twirled her dagger and put it back in her stocking, then went over and bowed to Abelia.</p><p>''I'm sorry Milady, that was not the one. It put up a fight but was no match for me. How disappointing."</p><p>''It's okay, we just shortened our competition a little. No need to apologize."</p><p>Alex was on his knees crying, it was the first time I had seen him do so. It was horrible and full of such anguish that it seemed to echo all around the forest. Alex's body was fading in and out slowly, soon he would return to the human world with no memories of what just happened. I knew the feeling.</p><p>''Why cry about it, you'll be forgetting your partner in a few seconds anyway." Abelia said, coldly.</p><p>''Shut up, Grievious was very a important friend to Alex. I won't let you talk bad about him ever, we'll be your opponents next." I snapped angrily.</p><p>''I almost considered Alex a rival and you killed his only chance of giving me a decent fight, I'll never forgive you for that." Aero said.''Sure he was weak but he had a lot of potential. I'll avenge him by making you pay!"</p><p>''Aero!''</p><p>Alex looked at him seriously, then looked at me. This was the first time that he looked so serious about anything. He gave Aero a really hard glare look and spoke seriously.</p><p>''Make sure that nothing bad happens to Fellie. Don't lose and don't let her die. I want you to win for me. Don't let Grievious's death go unnoticed, I won't remember him but you will. You two need to win this game and get your wish granted, do it for us got it?"</p><p>''Yeah, I got it"</p><p>The boy smiled as he began to fade.''Maybe we will meet again someday. Good luck to the both of you."</p><p>With that Alex's body vanished and there wasn't a trace of him left. Aero punched the ground and I quietly cried for my two friends, then we got up as one and faced our opponents with determination burning in our eyes. Aero drew his scythe and Penelope drew two of her daggers out. They approached each other and stopped 6 inches from one another.</p><p>''Let's have a good fight!" Penelope said.</p><p>"Trust me, it's gonna be the last fight you ever have!"</p><p>Then they charged each other and the battle began.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. A Sword Dance Of Black And White, Aero Vs. Penelope</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; We had fought against many bad things, but this was easily the worse. Alex and I learned from Aero how to cast spells and on how to better understand the basics on magic. We also encountered two girls who were able to easily defeat a entire party of Soul Masters and killed Alex's partner Grievious. Alex was sent back to the mortal world with his memory erased and now we were about to fight the two girls to avenge him. This is our first major duel, wish us luck because we'll really need this time.</p>
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    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 8:A Sword Dance Of Black And White, Aero Vs. Penelope</p><hr/><p>The first clash cracked the earth with a bone shattering impact. Both fighters moved in a deadly dance of slashes and blows. Aero swung his scythe elegantly but he couldn't seem to hit Penelope at all. She swung her daggers at him but he deflected her blows. No one seemed to be able to hit anyone, they were way too skilled to and evenly matched. The clash kept going on forever until Aero got a lucky shot, he cut Penelope's arm and drew blood. She drew back and looked at the wound in surprise before regarding Aero.</p><p>''You actually managed to cut me, that is quite a welcome surprise. You're different compared to the others. It appears that I shouldn't underestimate you."</p><p>The Son of Death smirked confidently. ''That was just a taste of the pain that's coming your way. I plan to beat the life outta you in revenge for what you have done."</p><p>''That's what I like to hear! Come on then let's go!"</p><p>They continued their brutal battle. While that was going on I confronted Abelia, ready for a fight and wanting to avenge Alex.</p><p>''Why are you doing this? You slaughtered innocent souls and hurt people for no reason other than because they didn't give you a decent fight. Why?!" I asked.</p><p>''I will do anything to accomplish my goal and find a worthy rival. Whoever isn't strong enough to fight me are weaklings and don't deserve to have <strong>Assets</strong>. If that boyfriend of yours had been stronger then he wouldn't have lost his partner and avoided elimination." Abelia replied, coldly.</p><p>''Shut up! I told you that I won't ever let you talk bad about Alex!" I snapped.</p><p>''Then come and honor me with this duel! Show me how strong your passion truly is!"</p><p>Abelia reached into her coat and under it I could see that there was a magnificent looking rapier hidden underneath. The pommel of the blade was wrapped in blue leather and had a gold hilt, giving the sword an air of elegance well associated with a high and mighty weapon. Abelia got into a fencing stance and approached me while I was barely able to summon my sword in time before she was started raining a accurate barrage of blows onto me. I was able to blocked most of her strikes and countered with some of her my, which were also blocked in return. We exchanged blows for awhile until we both finally decided to fall back to a safe distance.</p><p>''I see, you are quite skilled." Complimented Abelia as she studied my stance. "Your swordplay though flawed and open actually matches my own perfectly. I think that you might actually be someone worth me getting serious on."</p><p>I could hardly believe what I heard. That display wasn't her being serious? Instead I went for a compliment as well. ''You're really good too Abelia, but I won't lose to you! I will avenge Alex right here, right now!"</p><p>We continued our elegant yet deadly battle, both of us unable to get the advantage over the other. People watching would have no doubt saw this as a dance or performance. They would have been half right.</p><p>Aero and Penelope's fight was getting more bloody as time went on. Aero had a nasty cut on his forehead and another on the left side of his stomach while she was cut on her left shoulder and chest which made some of her uniform open and revealed some of her bra and cleavage. Penelope didn't seem to care and kept slashing at Aero with a huge smile on her face. The young girl seemed to be enjoying this fight a little too much and Aero had to jump back to avoid another slash that would have disemboweled him had he been slower.</p><p>''What the hell is up with you? Your fighting completely different now."</p><p>She only laughed and chased after him. ''Come on now, don't run away! Where do you want me to cut you next?!"</p><p>''What?"</p><p>''Let me cut you somewhere else! Let's keep cutting each other forever and ever, please?!"</p><p>''No way psycho!" He barked as he avoided another deadly swipe.</p><p>''Aw, don't play hard to get! I want to have some fun with you a little more before I kill you!"</p><p>She started to violently shake and lose control of herself even more. Aero was being forced back by Penelope's unrestrained and wild style and power. Her speed was increasing and her body was starting to glow a bright crimson. It was like she was becoming a completely different person compared her original polite personality.</p><p>Abelia noticed this while she was fighting me and smiled. I could tell from her eyes that the redhead seemed to have been happy that Penelope had finally had a opponent who she could actually fight to her heart's content. She knew that once the girl got like this there is nothing she could do to stop her. Abelia knew that she had to let Penelope release her full power or something bad would happen. Smirking the royal girl turned and addressed Penelope as she was about to lunge at my partner again.</p><p>''Penelope, you have my permission to release Level 002!"</p><p>''Really Milady?!''</p><p>''Yes, go wild!" She said before resuming the duel with me.</p><p>''Yes!" The pink haired girl exclaimed before turning to Aero with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Now we are going to have some real fun! Battle Mode Level 002, release!"</p><p>Penelope glowed a extreme shade of red and blinded Aero. When he was able to see, he saw that Penelope's hair had changed from pink to snow-white and she was smiling wolfishly like an excited child. She resembled a goddess of war and kept shaking and bouncing in place as she pointed a dagger at Aero.</p><p>''Hope you are prepared for round 2! From here on out we're going to have a real good time together! I can assure you of that!"</p><p>She vanished and appeared in front of the Reaper, then she kicked him in the face with her left leg. The blow sent him crashing into a large boulder behind them and he was buried deep into the rubble. Penelope walked calmly toward the pile as Aero got up and tried to attacked her with his weapon. She grabbed his scythe with one hand and tossed him aside with great strength before stabbing his arm with one of her daggers. Aero screamed in pain and coughed up blood, He was being tossed around so easily by this girl and I couldn't do anything to help him. He must have known that if he keep trying to attack head on he could die, so he seemed to have come up with a plan.</p><p>Aero closed his eyes tight and started to breath slowly, looking as if he were asleep. He stayed that way for 12 seconds, then he opened his eyes again. They were now pure white and looked like they were made of glass. When Penelope tried to attack him again with her blades, Aero caught her dagger with two fingers and tossed her behind him. She recovered in mid-air and attacked him with a few slashes which were all blocked by his scythe or evaded. Aero almost seemed like he knew what she was about to do before she could do it.</p><p>Aero then decided to counterattack and slashed his scythe deep into Penelope's shoulder, who didn't seem to care and once again attacked. Aero deflected every single blow and stabbed her in the stomach, causing Penelope to cough up a large amount of blood. She walked back and fell to her knees, bleeding all over and coughing out more blood but still grinning despite her injures.</p><p>''You are truly are a challenging foe! No enemy has ever caused me to bleed this much before. However I won't be giving up yet."</p><p>''Are you crazy? You do know how much blood you lost right? Memptis are still close to human so blood is just as important to you. You can't keep fighting or you'll die. Just give up already."</p><p>The pink haired girl shook her head in defiance. ''Never! I made a promise to Lady Abelia that I would not lose until I helped her get her wish. I can't lose to you just yet...Looks like I am going to have to release Level 3 just to keep up with you now. I cannot possible continue like this."</p><p>Penelope once again started glowing and her long hair started to grow spiky. Aero knew that she was now fighting with everything that she had left and it was not good for him. He seemed to began losing his connection with his Future Sight and he winced as if his head was starting to hurt. Eventually the connection would end and his eyes would return to normal, he would also be very vulnerable and lose his chance to win. If he was going to finish this than I hoped he had so big move to pull out on her.</p><p>While Aero was preparing his special move mentally, me and Abelia were coming to the big finish of our battle. I had attacked her with sword slashes and had summoned monsters that I had tamed from the beaten monsters, but she was able to defeat them all without breaking a sweat. I had gained a small cut above my eye and a long cut across my arm as injures. My Soul energy and mana were dangerously low and if I didn't do something I knew that both Aero and I would be defeated. I had an idea which I knew that Aero wouldn't like it but it was the only way that we were going to survive. We would have to run away and thankfully I obtained just the spell for that.</p><p>Aero was concentrating very hard and seemed to be getting amazing results. His scythe was glowing red and being surrounded with some strange purple mist. Penelope saw this and smiled, beginning to cast a spell of her own. The air dropped suddenly and ice formed from below her feet onto the ground, turning it all to ice. Her dagger also started to be covered in ice and glowed white. Both attacks were being charged up by what seemed like forever, then both finally unleashed them.</p><p>''This is where it all ends! Fall into despair. Nightmare Terror!" Aero jumped at her and raised his scythe.</p><p>''You are correct, it is over! This is goodbye, Diamond Sniper!" Penelope went to intercept the attack with her ice dagger.</p><p>The two special moves crashed into each other and created a huge shock wave and destroyed his trees around them. I created a protective barrier around myself and the other unconscious Soul Masters to protect them from the destruction, which was almost cracked open completely. The attacks clashed for a long time until they finally canceled out and created a huge explosion. Both opponents were sent flying and crashing to the ground painfully. For a minute no one got up, then they both moved and tried to pick themselves up. The first to get up was Penelope who could barely stand, and then Aero got up with one hand on his knee. They stood there staring at one another for a few seconds, then Aero gave a loud gasp and fell to the ground, out cold.</p><p>Penelope slowly and painfully limped over to him with one of her daggers in her hand. Her intent was to kill Aero will he couldn't defend himself. I knew that I had to get him out of there so I started casting her spell. Abelia took notice of this and looked at me, probably thinking that I was trying some attack. She readied herself for whatever I was going to do but I smirked in joy that she wasn't stopping me from my chanting. Penelope was now standing over Aero, pulling back her dagger and poised to stab him through the heart.</p><p>''This is where it ends. You were a great rival and I'm sorry that you have to die this. If I could I would have preferred fighting you a bit longer, but sadly our time is over now. Farewell."</p><p>''Cludiant ni diogelwch{Transport us to safety.}"</p><p>Abelia and Penelope looked to the source of where the voice was coming from and noticed me as I glow with white light around my body. Abelia seemed to know that I was using a transportation spell that she was casting and shouted at her partner as she saw Aero being surrounded by the same white glow and beginning to vanish.</p><p>''Penelope, do it now!"</p><p>''Yes, Milady."</p><p>She tried to stab Aero but his body had already vanished, Abelia looked in my direction just as I began to vanish as well. I could imagine the confusion on their faces as their worthy rivals disappeared without a trace before their eyes, the thought almost made me chuckle. I knew however that we would likely meet again and when we did we would be prepared and would defeat them. Abelia sighed and flicked a strand of red behind her ear as she looked over her partner.</p><p>''Good work Penelope. That was very impressive."</p><p>The pink haired girl blushed shyly at the compliment. ''Thank you Milady. I didn't expect that they'd be so tough. My clothes are torn and I'm covered in so much blood. There is a chance that I could die from my injures."</p><p>Abelia gave her a bland look. ''I'm sure that you can handle it, you are a Memphtis after all. Your amazing healing factor is what makes you kind so unique. Come, we are leaving."</p><p>''Yes, Milady." Penelope said while bowing.</p><p>They followed a path and left the area. A few yards away both me and Aero appeared near a cave with a beautiful stream nearby. I sat on a rock while Aero's unconscious body laid flat on the ground. I got up and checked his heartbeat just as I had been taught, sighing in relief that he was still breathing if just slowly. If I didn't heal him then he would die from losing too much blood. I took off his torn jacket and his shirt, exposing his well built chest for all the world to see. He was surprisingly pale but not unhealthily so. I then went to the stream and got fresh water in order to clean his wounds and his bloody clothes.</p><p>I started to examine all of my partner's injures one at a time. He had nasty cuts on his chest, face, stomach, and one of his legs. I could tell from his labored breaths that he also had a cracked rib, his injured leg was broken, and he had suffered internal damage in his left arm, most likely from the strain of his big move during the fight. I decided to start off with his broken bones, using a small healing spell to repair the damage to his ribs and leg to put them back in place. It wasn't pleasant as he made sounds of agony as his bones began fixing themselves. After those were healed I started on Aero's arm, the worse internal injury by far. He screamed loudly in pain and thrashed around so much it made the job harder, so it took everything for me to prevent him from moving any further. After that process was done he cooled down and relaxed.</p><p>I was prepared for him this time if he reacted again. Luckily for the both of us this next process was easier and non-painful. I touched his wounds gently in order to heal his body and facial injures. In a short time all of Aero's outer wounds were gone, he looked as good as new. However he still needed some time in order to fully heal so he had to remain here for the time being. I decided that I had some time before the day ended so I went to get water for both of us and use my newfound magic skills to hunt for food. I summoned one of the Hell-hound creatures that we had previously fought and ordered it to keep a eye on Aero, healed my own minor injures from the Abelia's rapier, and then took out my guns and went out to hunt, remembering all the lessons on tracking that my sister drilled into me during our times in the woods.</p><p>It was night when I finally came back with food. I had managed to kill something that looked like a cross between a rabbit and a large squirrel, the Underworld was weird like that I guessed. I purified it of any diseases, skinned it and cooked it using a fire spell and got a small camp together. I fed on the creature and gave Aero a drink of water, then drunk some myself. After I had had my fill of dinner I decided it was time to settle in for the night and with some effort I dragged Aero deep into the cave. I laid him down with his back to the wall and sat next to him. Thinking to myself on possible ambushes or uninvited enemies dropping in on us I decided to summon more monsters to stand guard and to alert me if anything bad were to happen. I finally regained my seat next to Aero and looked at the cave walls a few times curiously before being satisfied that we we safe. I eventually succumbed to the sweet temptation of sleep and I swore my head had accidentally landed on Aero's shoulder. I was too tired to move it though and lost myself fully into the peacefulness of the cool night.</p><p>I guess you can call that romantic, in your own type of way right? Well, let's see what happens next part, okay? Bye.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Enter Mara! Aero's Transformation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; We lost our very first battle. We fought against the two mysterious women Abelia and Penelope and actually lost. I had to teleport us away before Aero was killed and am now taking care of Aero after his near death experience. I don't know what will happen next but with Aero slowly recovering I know that I will have to protect him for a little while. Wish me luck guys, I'll need it.</p>
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    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 9:Enter Mara! Aero's Transformation</p><hr/><p>The next morning, I woke up and noticed that my head was resting on Aero's shoulder as he was still sleeping. How the hell did we get like that?! I pulled back quickly and blushed while looking away. After a few seconds I looked back at him and noticed that he was breathing more normally than before. I got out of the cave and put away my familiars, then went back to the stream and got a drink. I took the meal that I had before and ate a small bit of it, then I generously left some for Aero.</p><p>I guarded the cave for half an hour and then decided to wake my dear partner up. I shook him gently at first, when he didn't wake up I shook him much harder. He moved a little bit but he still wouldn't get up so I pushed him violently to the ground. Aero finally jolted awake and looked around at his surroundings, then his fell on me as he tried to get up. His body was still weak and he fell back on the ground, I tried to help him but he pushed me away roughly.</p><p>''I got it Princess. I'm not a child, I can stand up on my own."</p><p>''Let me help you. You're too weak to get up by yourself." I reached for him again but he swatted me off.</p><p>''I said that I'm fine!"</p><p>''No you aren't! Your body is still in pain and it hasn't yet gotten used to you moving around! You may think that you are fine but you can hardly stand on your own two feet! Let me help you!''</p><p>It took a lot of arguing but finally Aero swallowed his pride and agreed to let me help him up. I understood how he felt, he didn't like to appear weak in front of others. He was the type of person who liked doing everything himself and wanted to be strong enough to protect people or being protected. This was the first time that I seen him lose and he have gave him a bad impression on my view of him. I would have to help him as we continued on our path. I made him lean on me to support his weight as we followed the road.</p><p>We tried the best we could to avoid any other competitors or monsters. We were surprising lucky because we hadn't been attacked once, however we were almost found by a large monster who resembled a bear with green fur and razor sharp gray claws. I had been prepared to fight it but thankfully the beast had walked away, probably off to look for food or something. We continued going until we came to a large area with big trees and many rock formations. Thinking that this would be as good a time as any I decided to take a little break and check on Aero's condition.</p><p>''You okay?" I asked.</p><p>''Yeah, don't worry about me. I'm tougher than I look."</p><p>I tilted my head skeptically. ''I hope your right. We still have a long was to go."</p><p>''I don't think so! Sad to say this is where your road ends!"</p><p>The voice that we heard had come from a party of Soul Masters. There were three of them comprised of two teenage boys and a girl. The one who had spoke was obviously the leader, he resembled a delinquent with intense red eyes, fiery crimson spiked up hair, a slightly broken nose and a crazed smile. He had on a black jacket and brown pants with gloves leather shoes. The boy next to him had short blue hair with a strand covering one green eye. He had a blue T-shirt, jeans, and black sneakers. The girl looked the most normal among them with pretty features and bright purple hair tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a white Japanese school uniform and a blue skirt with black loafers. They each had a partner with them, the redhead had an red ogre with huge rippling muscles and arms coated in flames, the blue haired boy had a giant wolf that was covered in black fire instead of fur, and the girl had a beautiful blue skinned women that was generating a force field of water around her naked body.</p><p>''This is where the Games end for you, unless you join up with us that is." The Redhead leader said.</p><p>''We could sense the magical power that you were giving off during your fight with those girls. You two have some serious strength at your disposal. If you were to team up with us then we could win this whole competition easily.'' the blue haired boy said.</p><p>''Even though you were defeated we know that you could still be of great use to us. We are pretty solid as a team but with more members we would be unstoppable. What do you guys say?" The leader repeated.</p><p>I knew immediately that these three were bad news. They were saying such good things about us now but secretly I felt that they were planning something. Thanks to my experience growing up around foster homes I was very good at reading people by their eyes and I could tell by looking into their leader's eyes that they were lying. No doubt they would try to use us both until we were no longer needed then discard us at a later date. I looked at Aero and saw that he must have thinking the same thing that I was. We both nodded to each other and said our answer at the same time.</p><p>''No.''</p><p>The red head jumped back in shock. ''What?!"</p><p>''We said no. We would never join a bunch of liers like you guys. You'll just stab us in the back at the very end or abandon us when we aren't useful anymore. We won't join you, got it?!''I explained to them with anger in my voice.</p><p>"Fine then, guess we will just have to kill you." The girl finally said quietly.</p><p>''We are going to have take our time beating some respect into you first little girl. Then we'll make you watch as we torture your partner slowly and before we kill him we will make him do the same while we have our fun with you." The blue haired boy said to me with a perverted grin.</p><p>''You'll pay for turning down our offer. Your partner is still injured and weak so there is no way you can beat us and our amazing teamwork!" The Redhead shouted.</p><p>The party approached us with their monsters taking the lead. Aero got up and summoned his scythe to defend me but I knew that he couldn't fight in his sore condition. I stood in front of him as the ogre was almost on top of us and raised his fist, ready to pound me into the dirt. The monster swung down with its fist but then suddenly it stopped. It looked down at itself and noticed a long blade had pierced through it's chest. The monster coughed out a large amount of blood, then it fell so hard to the ground that the earth shook. It was dead but the source of it's death was unknown.</p><p>''Who did that? Who in the hell just killed my ogre?!" The Redhead shouted.</p><p>''That would be us! The super awesome and supreme ninja team combo!"</p><p>The voice came from above us in the trees and standing on a branch were two figures, one was a short boy while the other was a tall girl. The boy looked around my age with emerald green eyes, an mischievous smirk on his impish face, was slightly well built and had spiky green hair with a ninja forehead protector wrapped around his forehead. He was dressed in a green T-shirt with black shorts and wore a pair of black fingerless gloves and black sandals{Note; Naruto like sandals). The boy had a long knife attached to the left of his belt and a satchel on the right. I could tell from his playful smile that he was a troublemaker. The girl next to him was beautiful and had dark hair just like mine but hers was longer and in a ponytail. Her eyes were green and she was dressed in a black V-shaped vest with blue jeans and the same sandals as the boy. She had a sword strapped to her belt and a satchel as well. She was looking at her partner in annoyance and shaking her head slowly.</p><p>''Mara, I told you that isn't our title. Why'd you have to introduce us like that?" The girl asked.</p><p>''Because we are the super awesome ninja team combo! We are the perfect pair because we're both ninjas and we both rock! Don't you agree?'' The boy Mara asked.</p><p>''I suppose, but you don't have to keep using the title like that. And aren't ninjas supposed to be stealthy? Why would you alert them to our presence?"</p><p>''Because I want everyone to know of our awesomeness! Don't worry about it okay? Let's just help the girl and be done already."</p><p>''Who the hell are you?' The blue haired boy asked.</p><p>The ninja boy smiled and pointed at the blue teen. ''Glad you asked as I just love talking about myself. I am the greatest ninja in the whole world, Mara! This lovely young lady beside me is my assistant and partner Kuma. We've have graced you with our presence today so we can save that innocent girl over there and her partner from you three dishonorable scumbags. Try to attack someone who isn't even at 100 percent, that's shameful and you'll be punished severely for it!"</p><p>''Oh yeah? You're gonna pay for what you did to Drake's Ogre. Go and get them, Fenrir!</p><p>The boy's dog lunged at the boy, Mara. His partner drew her sword and blurred past the dog and landed on the ground before re-sheathing the blade, as she did the dog was split in half down the middle. The two halves of the corpse fell to the ground with a thud and black blood oozed on the ground beneath it. The three party members looked down at the dead dog with their mouths hanging open, shocked at how easily it was dispatched.</p><p>''No way. There's no way anyone could be that strong." The Redhead named Drake said.</p><p>''I'll handle this Drake. I'll make them suffer for defeating you guys." The purple haired girl told both her teammates.</p><p>Her water spirit attacked the girl Kuma with a water blade who parried it with her own sword. Kuma and the spirit clashed with their swords, however Kuma couldn't seem to kill the spirit because it was made of water. Her blade went right through the spirit like butter but creature continued trying to cut her. She backed up a bit and dodged a sword strike, then called to her partner.</p><p>''I have need of your assistance here Mara. My sword does not seem to work and my wind magic will most likely be just as ineffective."</p><p>"Got it!"</p><p>Mara jumped off the tree and pulled out his knife, then he attacked the spirit with gusto. His fighting style was rough and unpredictable. He combined slashes, punches, and kicks all in a deadly combo that overwhelmed the spirit even though it wasn't doing any damage. His opponent didn't know what was coming next until Mara suddenly got in through a blind spot and pulled back his fist. It started to spark with green electricity and he slammed it hard into the spirits stomach, causing a large amount of power to enter it's body and turned it into steam.</p><p>The party, me, and Aero were amazed at how this loud boy had killed a monster in a single punch. The leader Drake was about to say something before Mara suddenly appeared in his face and socked him in the mouth hard, knocking the taller boy out cold. All three party members faded away helplessly and everything was quiet for a moment before the boy walked over to both me and Aero. My partner tried to get in front of me but Mara put his hands up to show he wasn't going to hurt us.</p><p>''Wait, wait, I just wanna know if you two are okay. I'm the one who saved you so don't worry, we're the good guys."</p><p>''Why did you help us?" Aero asked.</p><p>''I helped you because I wanted to. You both were in trouble and I thought you could use the help. Plus I don't like it when bullies like them gang up on a girl and especially on an injured foe. Right Kuma?"</p><p>''Yes, we will not harm you. You have my word that our intentions are sincere. There are many powerful monsters out here that could be troublesome to fight in your condition. Please allow us to help you until you regain your strength."</p><p>''Yeah, and I'm kinda hoping that you can charge me for my services. Being a free lance ninja isn't cheap you know. I've amazed you with my ever so awesome technique and you can contribute a little cash for my good work." Mara said with greed in his eyes.</p><p>''Sorry, I don't have anything on me." I replied.</p><p>''Me neither." Aero confirmed.</p><p>''Really? I take more then just money you know. You don't have any special rocks, gold, are you related to someone rich or do you have any valuable heirlooms?"</p><p>''No, sorry." We both said. I didn't know why Aero was hiding it since he was the Son of Death and most likely the prince of his castle with a limitless number of riches.</p><p>''*Sigh.* The things that I do to get some decent cash. Weapons and clothes don't grow on trees you know."</p><p>''Mara, why don't we just help them for free. The next people we meet can pay you." His partner told him.</p><p>''Alright. We'll help them for free, but they owe us big time."</p><p>''What do you say?" I asked Aero.</p><p>''I don't care, as long as they don't betray us. I'm gonna be watching him though, I don't know his angle and we could be falling into a trap. Be careful."</p><p>''Okay, I will." I turned to give my answer. "We've agreed to accept your help."</p><p>''Great! Now follow us to our camp. We'll be sure to protect you guys against whatever monster that tries to eat you so just leave everything to us." Mara told us confidently.</p><p>And with that we set off. Aero kept a careful eye on Mara who had his hands behind his head while walking, clearly not trusting him. I didn't think that there was anything wrong about him though. I saw nothing evil or malicious in eyes or his posture, besides arrogance and constant hyperactivity. He seemed like a nice guy and I knew that we owed him for saving us but I just didn't know how to repay him. I would just have to think of a way while we were traveling.</p><p>We encountered a few monsters in our way, but Mara and Kuma both easily killed them with incredible ninja techniques that I had never seen before. I noticed that both their fighting styles were vastly different from one another, with Mara fighting like a berserker focusing on strength while Kuma fought elegantly and precisely with her sword and her incredible speed. Mara attacked with his fists more than his knife and every time I saw him punch something there was always that green spark in his fist and often times in his feet. Kuma fought usually one-on-one against her opponents and never took cheap hits against monsters, I could see from her eyes as she fought that she seemed like she didn't like fighting or even killing them at all. The two styles were so opposite to one another that I eventually decided to ask Kuma why that was.</p><p>"What's up with Mara's fighting style? You fight so honorable and cool while he doesn't. Why?"</p><p>''I suppose you can say that comes from the way he was born."</p><p>''What do you mean?"</p><p>''From what Mara told me he was born in a temple somewhere in your Japan. He attended a Martial Art school where he was raised by the Sensei, his foster mother I believe. In this school Mara was considered a weakling by all of the other students. He couldn't do most of the taught techniques and picked fights with those who insulted him, only to have gotten defeated after. In the past he had never won a single sparring or official fight and so was considered weak by all his peers. He was bullied alot because of that as he would be called worthless or complete failure to the school. Mara took it all of that abuse and didn't know if he would ever become strong as he wanted to be to protect his home and the people that he loved. For a time Mara believed he was truly worthless and wondered what would happen if he had not existed to begin with. I believe that he was considering Seppuku and almost gave up."</p><p>''That's so said, I feel sorry for him. How did he change?"</p><p>''His foster mother saw how bad Mara was becoming. He began disrespecting his masters and become moody and distant to those close to him. She decided the only way Mara could return to his old self was to train him herself and bring him back to his senses. At first it was difficult, he couldn't do anything that she told him to do and his style was too aggressive of a ninja. Then she surprised Mara by allowing him to create his own style, which is the one you see right now. It was a combination between his rough attitude, his skill with a knife, and his agility and the results came out excellent. Mara started to win his fights, did everything that he was instructed to do, and was challenged to fights himself in where he was undefeated. He amazed his classmates and they apologized for insulting him so much that he became a roll model to the younger students and to the others in his class. Eventually Mara found out that he could manipulate a powerful magical energy source that increased his power exponentially, it is what you call Soul Energy I believe. Mara had trained himself into harnessing and focusing this energy into various parts of his body similar to a stream and began to call it Soul Release. By firing it into the vital point of a enemy he can stop the flow of blood, mana, or Soul Energy within the bodies of his enemies."</p><p>''Soul Release? That sounds pretty useful. I wonder if he could teach me how to do that."</p><p>''I have never met anyone as special as Mara who can perform this attack. It can destroy almost anything from bone to structures as well as paralyze its victim so they are open to attack."</p><p>''That's serious. What about your style?" I asked.</p><p>Kuma tilted her head. ''My style? I learned to fight like this back when I was still alive."</p><p>''Alive? Do you mean..."</p><p>She nodded. ''I was born along before your time. I remember that Mara called my time the Feudal Era. I was the heir to a proud clan of demon slayers and I learned swordplay from my elder brother ever since I was a child. We were known for our faith in the gods and our flawless skill with swords. One day I had learned that my family had arranged for a union of houses by forcing me into a marriage with their clan's heir. Unions between clans could only be achieved by offering the hand of one of its members to the other and my husband to be was not to my liking. He was a bloodthirsty and arrogant man who lead his people through his achievements and skill alone. Most women would have fallen to his charms immediately, however I knew his true nature. I spied on him and witnessed him flirting with other women whenever he was out of the eyes of his family and guardsman. After further investigation I learned that he had married five other women because of arranged marriages and planned to use me to increase his status as Warlord. I attempted to explain this to my father however no one would believe me so I ran to escape. I had encountered a powerful demon on my travels and I sacrificed my life to kill it. I gained this wound from the beast that claimed my life." The girl pushed back her hair a bit to show me the injury in question. I felt nauseous as I caught a glimpse of the long red slash marks that went from her neck down to her back. "Lord Death had mercy on my soul and allowed me to remain in this world. Since then I trained endlessly to hone my swordsmanship. I was mediating near a waterfall when I met Mara."</p><p>''He was watching me for sometime, trying use stealth even though I was aware of his presence the entire time. He wouldn't leave so I played a trick on him. I created a paper clone of myself and made it seem as if I were mediating, then I crept up on him and frightened him. I asked why he kept watching me and he said that he did it because he thought that I was interesting. I didn't know what Mara meant by that so I just let him mediate with me and tell me about the current world and we bonded nicely after that. He told me about his past and that how he wanted to become the greatest ninja in the world. I thought he was joking but when I looked into his eyes I could see that he was dead serious. I was inspired by his passion. I made a deal with him that I would assist him in achieving his dream by lend him my power. That was when we decided to participate in this competition."</p><p>I looked at her in amazement. ''That's some story. It's hard to believe that you come from another century since you look so normal. By how you talk I have no choice but to believe you. But didn't you find it creepy that he was spying on you?"</p><p>''Not particularly. I knew that he was harmless and my annoyance turned to admiration at his persistence. Though he would go as far as to almost watch me bathe I had taken precautions to prevent that from ever happening."</p><p>''Thank god for that."</p><p>Our group finally arrived to a small camp with two tents, a fire, and wooden training dummies further then the eye could see. I was amazed just how many there were, all with various ninja weapons that I had seen online impaled in them. Mara and Kuma sat down around the fire and invited us both to join them. I slowly helped Aero sit down and checked to make sure he was secure. I took a breath and sat next to Aero, then I watched our new friends carefully. Mara was cleaning his knife while Kuma adjusting her belt, but she noticed me looking and gave me a gentle smile. I took note of all the dummies and decided to break the silence by asking about them.</p><p>''What's with all the dummies?" I asked Mara.</p><p>"They are our training dummies of course. We use them to work out and keep our weapon skills sharp. Its a great way help us improve and increase our ninja abilities." He explained.</p><p>''Ninja abilities? Did you really had to call it that?" His partner asked.</p><p>"Why not? It's true after all. If you want to train feel free to use them whenever you'd like."</p><p>"How about right now?" Aero asked.</p><p>''Aero?" I addressed him curiously.</p><p>"I need to grow stronger, much stronger than I am now. I refuse to think about how pitiful I was at fighting damn servant. The only way to get my proper revenge is through evolution."</p><p>''Evolution?"</p><p>''You want to evolve?! That's badass! By evolving you'll be really strong and you'll get a whole bunch of new skills! I'll even help you personally by becoming your sparing partner!" Mara said excitedly.</p><p>"Alright! Let's go then! I rested enough!"</p><p>Aero slowly got up and approached the wooden dummies with Mara behind him. He summoned his scythe and attacked a dummy with his usual great speed while Mara drew his knife and cut at another. They both went to work on the dummies while Kuma and I watched.</p><p>''Well it appears that I will have to repair the training dummies again." said Kuma in annoyance as she threw a piece of wood into the fire.</p><p>"You can't blame boys for loving to get strong." I replied.</p><p>''I suppose you are right. I must admit that you have an impressive partner."</p><p>''Yeah he's pretty tough and rude sometimes, but he does have a nice side when he wants to show it. I could say the same for you and Mara, even though he seems to act like an airhead."</p><p>"Yes, that's just how he works at times." Kuma said, laughing.''I think he does that just to make me laugh though. He a really good person, more so than anyone else I had met in my experience."</p><p>''Is he really serious about that whole saving us for money thing?" I asked in nervous curiosity.</p><p>"Oh no, he likes to say that he'll do anything for money but really he it all comes from the kindness of his heart." said Kuma."I believe that he just wants to help people so that they can be friends and form a group with him."</p><p>"He wants us to partner up with you guys?"</p><p>"Yes I believe that he would. Knowing him Mara feels that you two would make valuable allies. We hope you and Aero will accept our offer and add to our ranks."</p><p>''I don't know. We were in a group before but one of our friends had his partner killed by two girls. We want to avenge his defeat, but to do that we need to get stronger. I think that Aero is right that we need to train if we're gonna beat them."</p><p>Kuma crossed her arms and glanced toward the dummies. "I can help you if you want. What do you need to work on?"</p><p>"I'm going to have to work on my swordsmanship, gun-play, and magic spells. Think you can help me with those?" I asked.</p><p>"Of course. I'll be your sparing partner for each subject. I do not know what this gun is nor why you would want to play with one but I suppose I could help you work on it as well if you were to explain it."</p><p>The two of us walked away from both our partner's sparing battle and began our own. Kuma helped improve on sword skills and weaknesses with a short wooden sword fight, then we used what I had learned to tear apart some of the wooden dummies. For gun-play I instructed Kuma to set up some rocks so I could work on my accuracy, hitting all but one target and getting better over time. Then we started to work on casting spells and making some interesting combinations with them for a few hours.</p><p>"So if we combine some of our spells like my fire and your wind..." I started.</p><p>"We could create a very powerful wind-fire blast or a flame tornado." Kuma finished.</p><p>''And by combining light spells..."</p><p>"We could create healing spells or cures to ailments."</p><p>''This is great! The number of spells that we can use are almost limitless, I can't wait to try them all out." I said in excitement.</p><p>"Yes, I hope we can." Kuma agreed."Have you given any thought about joining us?"</p><p>''Yeah, I think it is a good idea. You and I work so great together that I couldn't possibly refuse. I see they are working well together too."</p><p>They looked over to the boys and saw that they were fighting it out against each other in field. They were really fighting hard but they couldn't seem to hurt each other, they were too evenly matched to gain any type of advantage. Even though the fight was brutal I would see that both boys had large grins on their faces. Aero's scythe started to glow with dark magic just like before as he prepared his special move Nightmare Terror while Mara discharged his Soul Energy into his fist in the form of electricity again. They both slammed their attacks into each other and created an intense shockwave that cracked the ground. When the smoke cleared both boys were breathing hard but were grinning like children.</p><p>"Not bad. You're the first person I fought who could rival my style so easily. Good job." Mara said, giving a thumbs up.</p><p>"You're not bad yourself kid. This reminds me of the fight I had with that Memphtis girl. It makes me want to train even harder." Aero said.</p><p>"Good, I like your spirit. But I'm exhausted so let's continue the next day alright?"</p><p>They both stopped and stumbled over to the fire to rest. We got up and went over to our respective partners, then we both healed their injuries and stamina. Kuma decided that she would cook dinner for us while Mara made extra tents. In a couple of minutes we started to smell something amazing and I looked over to see a well put up table with an incredible amount of food scattered around it. There were different types of chicken, bread, fruit, vegetables, and alot of other things I hadn't seen before. Our group went over and sat together at the table, admiring the meal laid out for us.</p><p>"Wow Kuma, I didn't know you were such an amazing cook." I said as I took in the heavenly aroma of the food.</p><p>"It was one of the hobbies that I had when I was alive." Kuma said, smiling warmly."I was known as one of the greatest cook of my clan."</p><p>"That's one of the many reasons why I made her my partner." said Mara."Good looks and incredible cooking. She's really awesome isn't she?"</p><p>"I appreciate the compliment Mara but it is nothing special. And could you stop saying things like that about me."</p><p>The boy shrugged. "But it's true. Thank you for the meal."</p><p>We all started to feast while Kuma cleaned her cooking supplies. After we finished eating we all decided to turn in for the night and take turns keeping watch. First Mara kept watch, then Kuma, then Aero who insisted that I keep sleeping however longer I wanted as he didn't need much rest. After some protest I accepted the offer and passed out, dreaming about my recent battle with Abelia.</p><p>The next day we ate the last of Kuma's leftovers and went to a stream to get some water for the road. I was really surprised just how consumable the water in this world was. I noticed that my partner had finally seemed to be getting along with Mara. Looks like all that training and sparing together had given them a sort of best friend bond. The same could be said about we and Kuma too as we had many things in common. I was happy that these two would be coming with us on our travels, hoping that the void I felt after Alex and Grievious's defeat would be filled with these two as replacements.</p><p>''Okay, I think we should get going." I said."No reason to stay here any longer."</p><p>"Alright, let's go then." Mara answered.</p><p>Suddenly I sensed a hostile presence nearby that radiated evil intent. Aero must have sensed it too because he had already summoned his scythe to his side. The entire stream exploded and a horrible giant monster appeared. It had sickly blue skin, large blood-red eyes, a huge mouth with a sideways jaw, and a large red arm that pulsated like a heart. The monster was generating so much magical energies that the water was turning to steam. The monster roared loudly, the power of it's roar knocked everyone of us to the ground.</p><p>"The hell?! What is that?" Mara asked.</p><p>"It's called a Neptunas, one of the legendary kings of the Realm of Waves."Aero answered."They are rare to find in these realms. It most likely came from one of the other realms of the Underworld through one of the Endless Oceans."</p><p>"Whatever it is, I think it's really pissed."I said.</p><p>The monster roared again, forcing our group to put our hands over our ears to stop it. Then the beast started to cast a spell, making the water churn and rise up in the air. The monster started to glow blue and it pointed at our group, firing a concentrated beam of water at us with blinding speed. We dove out of the way just as the water slammed into the ground, the place we were standing smoking and burning like acid.</p><p>"Acidic water? Man this thing isn't playing around." Mara remarked as he dodged another blast of water.</p><p>"Damn, I don't think we have any choice but to fight." Aero said."Not like I was going to suggest otherwise."</p><p>He swung his scythe at the monster, who tried to protect itself with its hand. The creature swung at Aero with it's red arm while using it's other arm to attack Mara, who kept trying to find a blind spot as he focused on the rest of us. Mara ran up the monster's arm and slammed his fist into it's face, unleashing his electric energy into it's body. The Neptunuas roared in pain and tried to grab him but Aero fired a black energy beam at it from his finger, stabbing into it's eye and squirting blue blood everywhere. The monster used it's arm as a club to knock Aero down, then manipulated the stream water into it's eye. The water formed a type of cocoon around the damaged eye and when the cocoon cracked open, the monster's eye was fully healed.</p><p>"Water regeneration? I don't think we can possibly defeat it while it is in the water." Kuma observed.</p><p>"If we keep attacking it with higher level spells then it won't be able to regenerate quickly enough right?" I asked as I avoided a water beam from the giant.</p><p>"In theory yes, but we do not know the extent of it's healing capabilities yet to determine if that is true."</p><p>"Who cares, just cut it till it dies." Mara replied.</p><p>"For once I agree with him." Aero said, smiling.</p><p>The monster opened it's sideways jaw and sucked up some water, then it shot the water out with great force as a projectile. Kuma and I both cast a shield spell in order to block the attack however even though we succeeded the shield had a massive hole torn through it. The monster tried to attack us again but was stopped by Mara as he threw a paper bomb into it's mouth, causing an explosion of water and blood. The Neptunuas thrashed around in agony, knocking down trees and spraying acid water everywhere.</p><p>"That must have hurt."I remarked sarcastically.</p><p>Something didn't feel right though. I could feel that the monster was charging up it's energy for a large scale magic spell. The water began to churn and bubbled with heat. Just as I was about to warn my friends the stream exploded and blades of water flew at us with deadly precision. I was able to dodge them along with Mara and Kuma, Aero however wasn't so lucky. A blade cut across his chest and tore his jacket and undershirt, causing him to bleed a lot of blood. He fell to one knee and touched the wound, wincing in pain as he did so. When he looked up from his wound his eyes were dilated and filled with rage. He charged at the monster with his weapon ready.</p><p>The Neptunuas saw him coming and swung it's arm at him, catching the son of Death in it's huge fist. It lifted him up to it's face and started squeezing in an attempt to crush him. Aero screamed in pain and tried to stop it but to no success as the pressure tightened around him. I shot at the monster to distract it while Mara and Kuma ran up the thing's other arm to save Aero. They cut at the monster's fist while it swatted at me. Luckily Kuma's sword found it's mark in the Neptunuas's hand and it roared in pain. The monster dropped Aero but Mara caught him and vanished next to me. He dropped Aero at my side and engaged the monster again.</p><p>I knelt next to Aero and gently put my hand on the wound then recoiled in pain. The wound was hot to the touch and covered in the Neptunuas's acid water. I couldn't possibly heal it with that acid lingering on him, but I could prevent it from hurting him further. I used a light spell and stopped the acid from spreading into his blood but I knew that it wouldn't completely stop the pain. Aero would still suffer if I didn't do something to remove the water from him. There was a thump behind me and I turned to find Kuma's body fly past me, still breathing but rendered unconscious. I looked over and saw Mara not far away, thankfully also unconscious. The monster roared in triumph and looked at it's defeated opponents, then it charged up another water attack to finish us.</p><p>"No! Come on Aero, we need you to wake up! We need you to help us win! I thought you wanted to be the new Grim Reaper?! Didn't you promise me that you would help me find my sister?! Get up, please!" I shouted as I put my head on his forehead. I felt something spark inside of him and his heart began to beat in time with mine. I looked up at the monster as it fired it's acid water beam and closed my eyes, bracing for death. There was a burst of energy and when I opened my eyes I saw Aero standing in front of me with his hand out and a purple barrier erected around all of us. The boy's hair was floating upwards with black horns jutting from his head and he had purple markings alined over his face and arms. His eyes had turning crimson and a white aura was coming out of him, he also had black angel wings coming out of his back. He looked at me for a minute, then smirked in an arrogant yet reassuring way.</p><p>"Miss me princess?" he remarked.</p><p>"Aero? What's happening?" I asked.</p><p>"You helped me evolve and assume my true reaper form. I'm now a Death Eater but you can still call me Aero though."</p><p>"Death Eater?"</p><p>"You don't have to worry anymore. I'm gonna take this things soul. Make sure you take care of the others and stay out of the way."</p><p>Aero approached the monster and opened his hand to the sky, a orb of darkness appeared and a black katana fell into his palm. Aero looked at the blade and smiled evilly, then he charged at the monster with his katana at his side.</p><p>The real fun began after that.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Death Eater</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; After getting our butts handed to us by those two girls we got ambushed by a small party of Soul Masters who wanted us to be on their side. We said no and were about to be defeated by them until two people, a boy named Mara and a girl named Kuma, saved us and we befriended them. We went to their camp and decided to continue working with them for the rest of our journet. The next day we fought against a sea monster known as a Neptunuas but we were being beaten easily. Then something miraculous happened, Aero evolved and transformed into a form that he called Death Eater. He saved us from the monster's attack, now he is about to confront the monster with his new amazing powers and finish it once and for all. Wish us luck but I doubt we'll need it with Aero the way he is now.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 10:Death Eater</p><hr/><p>Aero jumped toward the Neptunuas, who tried to swing it's giant hand to keep him at bay. Just before the hand connected however the boy suddenly vanished like a ghost. The monster searched around for him until it roared in pain. Aero stabbed his katana into the creature's neck and disappeared again before it could retaliate. He appeared in front of the thing's face where he slashed at it's eyes before vanishing again.</p><p>"Did he just <strong>Flash Step</strong>?" Mara said as he regained consciousness and looked toward the fight. I looked beside him and saw that Kuma was starting to wake up as well.</p><p>"<strong>Flash Step</strong>?" I asked.</p><p>"It is a skill that many Soul Masters and their partners possess." Kuma said as she placed herself in a sitting position. "<strong>Flash Step </strong>allows the user to move faster than the human eye can register, so fast in fact that it seems as if the user has disappeared. An advanced user of this technique is capable of moving fast enough to create a body double of themselves that stands in the place where the user previously was. it is useful for tricking opponents into thinking that they have hit their target when in actuality they have not."</p><p>"Wow! That's amazing, what a useful ability!" I replied.</p><p>Aero used the <strong>flash step </strong>ability again and appeared above the monster. He swung down with his sword and left a large scar on the Neptunua's face, making it recoil and flail around in pain. The boy jumped to the ground and flicked the blade spraying the ground with the blood of the monster to clean it completely. The monster was blinded as it thrashed and swung it's fist in an effort to hit the boy while using it's other hand to try and stop the bleeding scar. Aero held his hand out in front of him and a small ball of dark energy appeared in his palm. He aimed the ball at the monster and grinned evilly as he said two word.</p><p>
  <strong>"Dark Repulsor!"</strong>
</p><p>The ball flew toward the monster and exploded on impact, destroying it's giant arm along with it's eye. Blood splashed into the stream and the monster's body slammed below the surface. Aero looked at it's motionless body before he started walking away. Just as he was about to go back to us the monster suddenly broke through the surface of the water and tried to grab him with its remaining hand. It almost reached him before the boy suddenly turned around and cast a quick spell.</p><p>
  <b>"Dark Incineration!"</b>
</p><p>The monster was then covered in black fire which burned away it's arm and vaporized its entire body into ashes. There wasn't a single trace of the monster left behind except the blood in the stream which was the only sign it had ever existed. Aero turned away and smiled at us before he sheathed his sword and made it disappear into dark fog.</p><p>"It's over." The boy confirmed.</p><p>Mara looked at him with an amazed expression. "That was incredible! Not as incredible as I would have been of course but incredible regardless."</p><p>"Is that right?"Aero replied with a annoyed tone.</p><p>"So this is what evolution is like?" I asked curiously.</p><p>"Yes. I am now much stronger than I was before. With this power I should be capable of dealing with whatever enemy we may face later on in the future. And even better once I find that girl who humiliated me I will be able to challenge her to a rematch and this time I will make sure she gets what is coming to her." He said menacingly.</p><p>Suddenly a white light appeared in right in front of my face. I reached up toward it and something dropped right into my hands. It was a large purple book about the size of a math textbook with a smooth leather cover wrapped around it. The title of the book said <strong>The Ancient Spellbook Of Magic, A Guide To Elemental And Summoning Spells</strong>. It radiated a mystical energy that increased my desire to open it. I opened to the table of contents and marveled at the pages that I saw which contained hundreds of spells written in an unreadable language that I remember seeing online was called Welsh. As I scanned the book the words began to become clear to my eyes until somehow I was able to read what was in it. Each page was arranged in perfect order of numbers and the more pages I turned the longer the incantations for each spell were. I looked at the Index and saw that each chapter was composed of different elements, fire, water, earth, air, light, darkness. I smiled with anticipation as I couldn't wait to try out these spells as soon as possible.</p><p>Mara looked over my shoulder at the spellbook. "What's that? A book?"</p><p>"It is a spellbook full of ancient spells and writings." I told him. "I don't know how but I think I can understand the words that are written in it. The more pages I turn the longer each spell takes to cast."</p><p>The boy looked confused. "Spells huh? That's not really my specialty though if it is useful for you then I'm glad that you found it."</p><p>Aero stood next to Mara. "The reason she has it is thanks to the shared experience that the two of us possess. Since I evolved in a way she has too. Now she can utilize high level spells and has gained access to the unique skill called <strong>Pandora's Box</strong>."</p><p>I gave him a blank look. <strong>"Pandora's Box</strong>?"</p><p>"Basically it is a small magical space that exists in another world. The <strong>Box </strong>allows the user to store a tool or weapon into this world like a storage locker. Sometimes the <strong>Box</strong> dimension contains objects their already that can be used only through the permission of the original user. For example, my scythe and katana are both weapons that come from the <strong>Box</strong>. The scythe was given to me by my father as a birthday present. Because he is the Grim Reaper he gave me his permiss-"</p><p>Both Mara and Kuma interrupted him by gasping and exclaimed together. "Your father is the Grim Reaper?!"</p><p>"Yes. Guess I forgot to mention that before. Anyway my father put his old scythe in the <strong>Box</strong> and he gave my permission to use it. My siblings also have some of their own unique weapons from the <strong>Box </strong>as well. Even the guns that I gave you come from the <strong>Box</strong>."</p><p>"Really?" I asked with a small hint of excitement.</p><p>"Yup."</p><p>Mara looked at the blood in the stream and whistled, impressed. "Whew, you really did a number on that thing. I think we should get going before any monsters catch the scent, they tend to get more aggressive when the scent of blood catches their nostrils."</p><p>"Agreed, let's go." Aero replied.</p><p>Our group followed a path behind the stream and entered into the forest. Aero retracted his wings into the back of his jacket and made the markings on his body disappear. I didn't notice before but his hands had grown into wicked wolf-like claws which he had also made disappear. He looked the same as how he originally had before however the feeling of his energy know was different. It felt more colder and menacing than before. It made a chill go down my spine as I didn't like what I was feeling. I didn't voice my thought though as we continued on our path.</p><p>Suddenly I felt a burst of power coming from the direction of the north. I looked at the others to see if they noticed and from their tensed expressions I knew that they had. We went toward the source of the power until we began to hear the sound of battle ahead of us. I was surprised to see that the ones who were fighting was the two girls that we had fought before, Abelia and Penelope. They were fighting against a tall monster that resembled a humanoid shadow with pure white eyes, a mouth full of razor sharp teeth arranged in a wicked smile, and a skinny figure. In my mind It was like a clown...just with black skin and a lot more horrifying than I could imagine. The monster was giving the two girls a tough fight with both girls being covered in cuts and monster blood while the creature itself had a long gash across it's stomach. The creature didn't seem to care about this though and knocked Abelia to the side. Penelope appeared at her side and tried to get the monster's attention so that she could recover. The battle was definitely not going their way.</p><p>I was tempted to help them until I remembered what the two women had done to Alex. As much as I would have liked to leave them to their situation, I knew it wasn't what Alex would have wanted. I turned to my partner to express my thoughts.</p><p>"We have to help them." I said. Aero looked at me with a cold expression.</p><p>"Why?! After what those two did why in the world would you even considering helping them?!. No way am I doing that!" He exclaimed, causing me to flinch slightly.</p><p>Mara looked between us with a nervously. "I don't know man they look like they could use some help. Do you guys know them? Who are they?"</p><p>"Two girls who were responsible for getting our old teammate eliminated from the competition. We tried to avenge him but we were no match for them at the time. The reason that we have been training with you guys was so we become strong enough to get our payback if we ever met again." I explained.</p><p>"You cannot allow anger to cloud your judgement." Kuma told us sagely. "Hatred and vengeance are poison to the mind and they often get in the way of your ability to decide what is right and wrong. I believe that we should assist them, as perhaps you both can find some forgiveness in their actions."</p><p>"Besides this would be bad for you right Aero?" Mara asked with a sly expression. "If they were to be beaten her then you won't be able to get the rematch that you want right?"</p><p>The boy thought about it for a while. Pride seemed to have gotten the best of him I guessed because he it didn't take him long to answer. "Fine I'll do it but only because I really want to make that girl pay for humiliating me. That is all there is to it."</p><p>Our group ran toward the two women and stood in the monster's path, which roared in excitement at having some new opponents to fight most likely. I offered my hand to Abelia but she slapped it away and yelled at me. "What do you think you're doing interfering in my fight?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"</p><p>"Your welcome." I sarcastically replied.</p><p>"Why are you two here?!"</p><p>"To save you of course." I explained nonchalantly.</p><p>Penelope tilted her head in confusion. "Why?"</p><p>Aero glared at her. "Isn't it obvious? So that we can have a rematch with you two! I can't have you losing to anyone else until I settle our score first." The boy then summoned his katana and charged the monster with Mara and Kuma right behind him. They preformed a three man assault on the creature, slicing and stabbing it in any area that was vulnerable to attack. Mara jumped above the shadow figure and charged energy into his fist before bring it down onto the monster's head.</p><p><strong>"Flux Lance!" </strong>He shouted the technique's name as he forced the monster into the ground.</p><p>Aero took the opportunity to attack and unleashed a katana combo alongside Kuma.</p><p><strong>"Moonlight Assault!" </strong>They both yelled together</p><p>The attack did monstrous damage to the creature, severing both of it's arms and making it squirm on the floor in pain. Black blood shot out in all directions while the monster shook violently before soon becoming still. The three fighters sheathed their weapons and started to walk back to us until the shadow monster suddenly jerked back to it's feet. It's eyes showed bloodlust and it licked it's lips in what I thought was hunger before lifting it's head and roaring into the sky. The creature began to mutate before our eyes, sprouting black wings from it's back, it's jaws opened unbelievably wide, and it's arms regenerated while it's claws grew into long needles. It took a few steps toward my three friends on it's newly transformed body before suddenly lunging at them with blinding speed.</p><p>It appeared in front of Aero and slashed down the boy's chest with it's claws which were now caked in blood. The boy jumped back and flinched from the injury but before he could react Aero was then sent flying as the creature backhanded him. The monster appeared behind Mara next and slashed the boy across his back, smirking at the boy's screams. It then grabbed Kuma and lifted her by the throat. The girl stabbed her sword repeatedly into the monster's hand but it didn't even flinch and violently threw her into a tree. Now with all fighters down the monster focused it's attention on me, Abelia, and Penelope. It walked toward us with pure malice in it's eyes.</p><p>I saw that Aero was the only one who didn't lose consciousnesses and he tried to speak, but ended up coughing blood. When he could make a complete sentence he cursed in anger. "Damn Shadow Kin. Don't think I'd be taken down so easily by such a weak attack."</p><p>Noticing that the boy was still alive the Shadow Kin changed targets and approached him. Aero lifted himself up and charged dark energy into his katana before rushing the monster. The Shadow Kin lunged forward as well and swung it's arm in order to bisect the boy. Just as it's claws were inches away from cutting him in two Aero suddenly slid under the creatures legs, shocking all of us. The Son of Death swung his blade and dark energy crashed into the creature's back, throwing it to the ground face first. The boy took a few seconds of rest as he waited for the creature to regain it's feet.</p><p>Next to me I could see that the girls were observing the fight with interest, especially Penelope who was practically shaking from excitement. "Amazing! I never would have expected that he would do something so reckless. I cannot believe that he would take such a dangerous risk. What interesting guy...I like him! I cannot wait for our rematch."</p><p>"Though like you said he is reckless." Abelia replied as she tried to stand, but fell to one knee. "He could have been killed if he miscalculated that move. If only I was in better condition then I could assist him."</p><p>I shook my head. "No, it'll be okay. Aero evolved soon after our fight with you guys. I'm sure as he is now he can handle that thing on his own...I hope so anyway."</p><p>The Shadow Kin got to it's feet and lunged at Aero with vicious speed. The boy could barely defend himself as the monster swung it's claws at him with deadly force. It knocked the boy to the ground and tried to impale his heart but Aero rolled to the side to dodge. The boy swung his blade only to hit nothing but air as the monster appeared behind him. It swung it's claw down at him, but Aero deflected it using his sword. He kicked the monster back and attacked but the creature jumped away quickly out of his reach. The boy regained his fighting stance and exchanged glares with the monster.</p><p>We could tell that the fight wasn't looking too good for my partner. Aero was being pushed back toward a tree by the beast and would eventually be cornered by it. Just as his back hit the trunk the monster prepared to finish him off bur a sudden flash of pink intercepted the strike. Penelope had blocked the Shadow Kin's attack and saved Aero from immediate death, all the while smiling like a lunatic. "Looks like you could use some assistance."</p><p>He shook his head in anger. "Why the hell did you get in the way?! I don't need your help!"</p><p>"I'm just making sure that we can keep our promise to one another. I cannot allow you to die until we have had our rematch. I will assist you in this fight so please hold on." Penelope said as she attacked the monster with her knives. The Shadow Kin parried her strikes and fought back against her, starting an intense clash between the two fighters. The girl tried to force back the monster with aggressive slashes but was stopped by the creature's brutal attacks. The monster speared it's claws through her arm and slammed the girl into the ground. It lifted a claw to end her life but was stopped when it felt a terrible pain in it's leg. I looked down and saw that a blade had pierced straight through the appendage with blood leaking from the wound, the one responsible for it's agony was no other than Aero. The monster roared and swatted the boy aside before it fell to one knee.</p><p>Aero smiled wickedly at the Shadow Kin. "Heh, you shouldn't have taken your eyes off me! You're way too fast for any of us to deal with so I waited till you were distracted before making my move and crippling your advantage. Now with that wound slowing you down we can easily match your speed now." The monster only roared before trying to charge him but fell once again due to it's injury. Penelope took that opportunity to get up and attack, piercing the monster through the chest and quickly running off before it could counter. She charged a ball of pure ice and crushed it in her hands, then the girl spread the ground with the fragments of that spell. The ice crawled toward the monster and fired off needles from the ground that pierced through the Shadow Kin in multiple areas.</p><p>Penelope began to pant heavily and turned her head toward Aero. "So you used me as bait? You knew that I would most likely jump in to save you didn't you? I underestimated your cunning, you are far more devious than I had thought that you were."</p><p>"I will take that as a compliment. I'm going to put this thing out of it's misery now, unless you want to be the one to do it?" The boy asked.</p><p>"By all means. This kill belongs to you." She answered with a grin.</p><p>The son of Death flashed a devilish smile and summoned his scythe. He charged dark energy into the weapon and lifted it to the sky with the blade growing slightly longer and glowing midnight black. The boy swung the weapon around with deadly speed and then got into a ready stance with his knees bent. The scythe crackled with magical power with purple electricity coming out of it. Aero slowly approached the monster and said out loud. "Before prepare yourself you damn monster because I won't be holding back with this attack. It's a stronger version of what used when I fought that servant girl only this time it contains all of the power that I have currently. Watch carefully and tremble at the power that can split even the darkest void itself! <strong>Nightmare Terror</strong>!" With that the boy lunged forward at the monster and swung his weapon at the Shadow Kin who tried to catch the attack with it's bare hands.</p><p>That was a fatal mistake. As soon as the attack connected with the monster's hand it sliced completely through, black blood flying in all directions and vaporizing it's hand instantly. The blade pierced straight into the shoulder and through it's torso, then it severed the monster's top half from the it's bottom. The top half flew high in the air and dissolved into black smoke. The bottom half walked forward for a few minutes, then it collapsed and disappeared as well.</p><p>Aero spun his scythe and rested the blade on his shoulder. He reached his right hand out and the smoke flew into his palm. The smoke gathered into a small ball which the boy lifted to his lips and swallow whole. To my surprise Aero's body generated the same smoke for a few seconds before it ended. His face suddenly twisted in pain and he fell to one knee while holding his head.</p><p>"You okay Aero? What's wrong?" I asked my partner.</p><p>"Nothing. I'm fine...Just got a headache that's all. Don't worry about it." He said reassuringly. Penelope approached Aero and studied him closely, making the boy blushed and moved away. Watching that for some reason made me slightly irritated though I didn't know why. </p><p>The girl frowned after looking over it condition. "It appears that he is suffering from magical exhaustion. He did use a lot of his energy in that last attack so he is feeling feedback as a result. It should pass soon though so I don't worry."</p><p>"No one asked for a long winded explanation." Replied Aero. "I'll get over it, after all I still plan to wreck your ass in our duel."</p><p>"Still able to act tough huh? I can respect that." Penelope complimented. The boy shook his head and got back up, then he walked over to me.</p><p>Mara limped over to us as well with Kuma following close behind. "I'm glad that you managed to care of monster. Now we can focus on getting to the portal again. You know...after you healed us all up."</p><p>"Alright, we'll fix you up quick and continue on our way. According to my map we should be getting pretty close to the portal. We should be in the next zone in no time." I confirmed with a smile.</p><p>And so we began to heal the injuries that the Shadow Kin had inflicted on the wounded. I healed Aero's injuries while Kuma healed Mara. Somehow Penelope's wounds were closing and repairing themselves on their own amazingly fast, meaning that she had some sort of regeneration ability that she had kept hidden. When I tried to heal Abelia's wounds she pushed me away with not so gentle force. "I don't need your help. These are only minor battle scars, they will heal with enough time."</p><p>I shook her head in annoyance. "No that isn't how that works. Any injury should to be healed quickly or it might get infected and interfere in your fighting. You really need a fix up anyway considering we'll be dueling each other right?"</p><p>"Of course. No warrior would ever refuse a challenge, especially one that hasn't had a clear victor. Just so you know in advance I haven't lost a duel yet." Abelia admitted with a cocky smirk.</p><p>"Sure whatever. I'm not going to lose so your boasting doesn't scare me." I countered with a equally cocky grin. I could almost see electric sparks collided off of our heads as the air began to intensify, I could see out of the corner of my eye that the tension made Mara and Kuma shiver.</p><p>Abelia eventually gave in and allowed me to heal her more severe wounds. When she was all patched up the girl retrieved her rapier and twirled it in anticipation. "Are you quite ready now? I would like to get this over with and settled so that I can be on my way."</p><p>I summoned my sword in one hand and my gun in the other. I entered a dual wielding fighting stance with both weapons in front of me before smirking. "Yeah I'm more than ready to begin. How about you Aero?"</p><p>The son of death summoned his scythe and got in a battle stance. "Do you have to ask princess? I've been waiting for this for a while now."</p><p>Penelope drew one of her knifes, flipped it into the air and caught it elegantly. "I am glad. You don't know how much I'm going to enjoy this duel. Come at me with everything that you have."</p><p>Mara and Kuma jumped away from the area onto a tree and watched us with anticipation. Mara had a large grin on his face as he waited for our battle to begin. "Oh man. It's a shame they didn't let me in on this fight though I guess watching is cool too."</p><p>We prepared for our duel. Aero and Penelope walked away to their own space to fight while Abelia and I remained where we were. We stared each other down for what felt like an eternity, then as if on cue we both charged. Me and Abelia attacked one another at high speed and grace, while I could see Aero slamming into Penelope with his scythe that had enough force to blow the girl backwards. She dashed at Aero and engaged him in close quarters, both fighters unable to hit one another. Aero suddenly grabbed the girl's face and slammed her into the ground, making a large crater appear from the impact. She spat up blood and grinned like a psychopath before righting herself and lunging at the boy.</p><p>I clashed swords with Abelia in a deadly dance of slashes and thrusts. We kept trying to get the advantage on one another but both we were too skilled to allow that to happen. I was thankful for the sword lessons Kuma gave me prior to this encounter or I wouldn't have standing up to the redhead like this. I shot at Abelia with my pistol but she deflected the bullets with her sword. Then she thrust her rapier at me but I deflected it with my own. Abelia charged energy into her rapier and thrust it at me but I dodged out of the way. I swept Abelia's feet out from under her with the flat of my blade. The redhead quickly got back up and twirled her rapier elegantly at me. "I see that you have grown much stronger since the last time we fought. You are providing me with a greater challenge compared to anyone else that I have faced. You might not be nobility but you can certainly fight against someone of the type."</p><p>"The only reason why I managed to get this strong was because of the experience that Aero shares with me. Not only that but I also have to thank my friends up there for taking the time to help improve our combat skills." I explained while gesturing at Mara and Kuma. "We owe our lives to them and so I see this duel as way of show offing how much I've improved in such a short time."</p><p>"It doesn't matter how strong you get though. It still will not be enough." Abelia pointed her blade at me and it started to generate a blue energy around her form. The energy swirled around the weapon and suddenly a blue laser fired out toward me. I quickly rolled to the left and managed to narrowly avoid the lethal beam. Then I struck back at the girl by charging energy into my gun and firing a laser of my own at her. Abelia twirled elegantly out of the way as the attack flew past her face and grazed her right cheek.</p><p>The redheaded girl touched the small wound on her face and smirked when she saw blood on her fingers. She looked up at me in amusement. "Once again I underestimated you. I have to start you seriously now if I want to prevail against the current version of you. I think that it is about time that I finally stop holding back." She twirled her rapier in between her fingers then gripped the hilt before lunging at her me.</p><p>Meanwhile while our battle was happening I could see that Aero and Penelope's battle was getting intense as well. The boy had a cut on his cheek and slashes across his arms and legs, blood running down his limbs to his pants. His opponent had bruises and multiple wounds and injuries all over her body, her school uniform was partially in tatters with a lot of her white skin showing. She was still smiling in happiness though as she continued to fight Aero, who was slowly starting to overpower the girl with his raw strength. He suddenly grabbed the girl's wrist and twisted it behind her back before slamming her head down to the dirt. He then pinned her to the ground and growled in her ear. "Give up!"</p><p>The pink haired girl only smiled at his statement. "What an interesting position that you have me in right now. Do you do this to all of the girls that you know? I didn't know that you were that kind of guy."</p><p>"Shut up! You'd better surrender before I twist your arm off completely!" Aero shouted.</p><p>"Come on now, do you really think I'd now stop when things are just getting exciting. I'm just about to go all out." Penelope replied as her hair started to spike upward slightly and her body radiated waves of red energy that was so hot Aero was forced to release her and back off a bit. The girl's hair became spiky and white just as it did before with the red energy dispersing and her body glowed with a crimson aura. She ran her hand down her face and sighed with relief. "Ah, it feels so great to release all that pent up stress and locked away power that I've been storing up since our last battle. I hope that you are ready sir, because now we'll be having some true entertainment from now one." Penelope looked at Aero with a seductive grin then charged at him.</p><p>The battle got crazy from there as both fighters clashed and vicious gusts of wind flew all around them. The ground cracked every time they clashed and many of the trees around them were cut down, even the one that Mara and Kuma were perched on. The two ninja jumped to a farther away tree and watched as both fighters went at each other. Mara was practically bouncing in excitement while Kuma was trying desperately to calm him down. The boy suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs. "This is so amazing! Both fights are so awesome! Why didn't they let me in on this?! I really want to fight someone too!"</p><p>He glanced at Kuma with a twinkle in his eyes and shouted. "Hey Kuma can you do me a favor?! Please spar with me?! I really want to take on someone strong right now! Come on pretty please?!"        </p><p>The girl chuckled nervously. "Maybe later. Right now this is a personal battle and it is our job as observers to spectate this duel."</p><p>Mara dropped his head in disappointment. "Man your no fun. Fine I'll watch but you owe me a sparring match and a reward later."</p><p>Meanwhile the battle between me and Abelia was reaching it's climax. Abelia had greatly increased her speed from what it once was and it had me barely able to keep up with the barrage of attacks that she threw out at me. The redhead pulled her rapier back and held it in a stabbing motion before shouting. "<strong>Royal Empress Stance;Celestial Waltz!"</strong> The girl unleashed an onslaught of thrusts and slashes which I barely managed to block or dodge. Abelia then vanished and appeared behind me before shouting again. <strong>Royal Empress Stance;Triple Gale Combination! One!"</strong> She swung her blade and almost slashed me across my waist. I blocked it but then the redhead vanished again and continued to attack.</p><p><strong>"Two!"</strong> She swung at my exposed side and cut me before immediately disappearing again. I looked around for the woman but then heard the sound of steel and looked upward. Quickly I rolled away as the redhead tried to stab down at me from above while shouting. <strong>"Three!"</strong> I shot at Abelia with my gun but she deflected the bullet with her blade and stepped in front of me, getting right up to my face and whispered a warning. "This is the final strike. it will hurt quite a lot so I hope that you prepare yourself. <strong>Royal Empress Stance; Multi Stab Strike!"</strong> She stabbed and cut into every exposed part of my body and knocked me to the ground. I laid there in a agony as Abelia smirked while walking away.</p><p>However Just as she prepared to leave the women stopped as she began to feel a powerful spike of Soul Energy coming from my battered form. She gasped and turned to me as I slowly rose to my feet and coughed up a small amount of blood.      </p><p>The redhead was utterly speechless as I began to limp toward her. "What?! How are you able to move right now?! I hit all of your weak points while sparing the fatal ones so how is it that you are still coming at me?! And what is with that intense power? Just what the hell are you?!" I ignored her questions and continued to limp over to the woman. I tried to talk but she couldn't hear me so I tried again, only louder. "I promised myself that I wouldn't give up until I found out my true identity and reclaim the soul of my dead sister. I made a promise with Aero, Son Of Death, to help him to become the Grim Reaper in exchange for his help in achieving all of my goals! I've come too far to allow myself to be stopped here! I won't allow myself to lose to you or anyone else...For my sister's sake...And for my partner's sake...I will not be defeated!" I shouted and charged at Abelia with what little strength that I had left.</p><p>The woman readied herself and fired a laser at me but I dodged and continued running toward her. Abelia fired more shots at me but none of them connected as I did my best to evade them all. I knew that a single hit from one of the projectiles would put me down for good so despite the aching in my muscles I nimbly avoided her attacks. She gritted her teeth and thrust her blade at me but I spun around the deadly weapon and connected my hands together. I slammed my palms into Abelia's stomach and shouted with all my might. <strong>"Holy Smite!"</strong> A blast of pure light energy flew from my palms and into Abelia's body, flinging the girl back from the force of the technique. She hit the ground rolling and finally stopped, the redhead tried to rise but coughed up blood and fell down again. Abelia smiled weakly and looked at me as I tried to regain my breath. "It appears that victory belongs to you this time. To think you could push me to this extent...You truly are worthy to be called my rival. I thank you for the amazing battle. You were the greatest opponent that I have ever fought, hahaha...." The woman passed out with what looked like a satisfied grin. I looked down at the girl before beginning to walk away, only to fall to the ground and pass out also from exhaustion.</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>No POV:</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>Meanwhile Aero and Penelope were fighting at speeds so great that to anyone watching they appeared as black and pink blurs clashing against one another. Both fighters materialized their auras to collide and clash with each other, with every collusion sounding like cracks of thunder. Aero swung his katana at Penelope who blocked it with her knives, sparks flying and gusts of wind blew as they tried to overpower the other. Penelope kicked at her opponent but Aero caught her leg and threw the girl through a tree, then he followed after her using a flash step. He fired a beam at her downed body however the girl rolled behind him and kicked Aero in his back, sending him flying into the air. The girl jumped after him while slashing her daggers but he blocked the attack with his katana and the two fighters vanished once again.</p><p>They landed on the ground, both fighters facing each other with amused smirks on their lips. Penelope was trembling from so much excitement that she was literally vibrating in place which caused the ground under her to crack. She tried to calm herself down and when she did she could finally form a complete sentence. "My apologies for that eager display from me. I'm just excited to actually be fighting against someone as strong as yourself. The only one who gave me this great a battle was Lady Abelia herself, though I have to say that you are giving me a much better time since then. I can't explain this myself but I feel as though I am really starting to fall for you."</p><p>"I also gotta confess with you that I'm kind of enjoying myself here too. Though it seems like we are the only ones still fighting. I'm sure that you can sense what happened with our partners battle right?" He asked.</p><p>Penelope nodded with a sad smile. "Yes. It appears that my lady was actually defeated. I almost can't believe it myself as when we fought she beat me quite easily. I have underestimated your partner a bit too much."</p><p>"Yes well she may look like as fragile as a doll and is horribly naive but that girl has great potential hidden within her soul. I don't understand it myself yet but she has a power that given time could make her extremely useful to my goals. Once she matures a little more and figures things out for herself the options before her will be limitless."</p><p>"Hmm, well it seems that you've got quite the interesting partner to take care of. As much as I would love for this fight to last forever I'm afraid we should decide the victor now and end this dance." The girl declared while powering up her pink aura.</p><p>"Agreed, it's time we wrapped things up here!" Aero said as he powered up as well with his purple aura. He lifted his blade into the air and a blast of purple energy entered the weapon, making the katana's blade appear as if it was trying to reach the sky. Penelope charged ice magic into her knives and crossed them before then entering a low stance with her right leg sliding back behind her. The two let their energies flow for a few moments as the air started to become thick, gusts of wind flew in every direction as the two prepared their finishing moves.</p><p>Penelope looked at Aero with absolute joy on her pretty face. "This will be my final trump card. Once I enter into this stance I unleash all my energy and magic power into my blades. This move has never been stopped by any of my opponents before. As soon as it makes contact with you it will freeze you to the bone and you'll shatter apart immediately."</p><p>"Then I will just have to make certain that I'm not hit by it. I still have a promise to keep with my partner, to inherit the title of new Grim Reaper and return her sister back to her. Until then I can't allow myself to die, not to you nor anyone else. I'm putting all of my determination and my ambitions into this final attack! Let this be your end!" Aero said as he swung the huge dark energy blade down. "<strong>BloodEdge!"</strong></p><p>Penelope lifted her knives above her head and swung them both down to the ground, shooting forth a beam of cold white ice. "<strong>Absolute Zero!"</strong></p><p>The two attacks clashed and everything around the beams along with the trees were instantly vaporized. Both techniques fought to overpower one another but stood at a long standoff. Both fighters screamed at the top of their lungs and put all of their wills behind the beams, increasing their strength. Penelope's attack seemed to get the advantage at first, but then to her shock Aero's attack completely consumed the ice beam and the purple energy flew toward the girl. She smirked as the attack collided with her head on and she was flung high into the air, hitting the ground so hard that she caused a literal human sized crater. Penelope laughed weakly and tried to get up but found that her legs were paralyzed, signifying that they had been broken by the Reaper's technique. Aero approached the girl and glared down at her. "That was for Alex."</p><p>His opponent then slipped into unconsciousness. The boy lifted her in his arms, making sure he didn't touch anywhere inappropriate, and went to go find his partner. When he found them Aero dropped Penelope's body next to Abelia, then he walked over to Fellie's unconscious form and knelled next to her. He looked up to see Mara and Kuma beginning to approach him before he leaned over Fellie until they were only centimetres apart and breathed air from his mouth to her own, making sure to keep some distance between them. The girl shot up suddenly and instinctively punched the Reaper so hard in the stomach that he coughed violently. Then she jumped up and pointed at him. "What were you just trying to do to me?!"</p><p>He coughed a few more times before replying. "I was trying to wake your ass up with my magic. Damn you punch just as hard as one of my older brothers do."</p><p>"Well I wouldn't have if you weren't hovering over me like some damn creep! Anyone would have reacted the same way." She defended.</p><p>"Don't kid yourself princess. You most definitely aren't my type anyway. I would never do something as perverted as that, especially not to you!" Aero shouted back.</p><p>Fellie blushed and looked away. "Yeah well...Like I'd ever want you to do that to me anyways!"</p><p>Mara walked over with a blank look on his face. "What's she talking about?"</p><p>"Nothing!" Fellie and Aero both answered.</p><p>Kuma smiled evilly. "I believe this is what is meant by having a lover's quarrel."</p><p>Aero blushed with embarrassment and shouted. "It's not like that at all! We are just partners so I only need her to win, there isn't anything else going on!"</p><p>"That goes the same for me!" Fellie replied.</p><p>"Understood." Kuma said with a sly gleam in her eye.</p><p>
  <strong><span class="u">Fellie POV</span>:</strong>
</p><p>After my argument with Aero I began to hear Abelia start to stir and wake up. She stared at our group for a few seconds before smiling and laughing with amusement. "You all are like one big family aren't you? Honestly you remind me of my servants as they tend to argue the same way that you all do. It is always amusing to watch."</p><p>I looked at Abelia and grinned. "Good fight we had there huh?"</p><p>"It most definitely was. A shame that we can't do it again with my partner having been...Well..."Abelia looked down at Penelope with a sad expression.</p><p>"Don't worry she isn't dead, maybe bruised a bit and with broken legs but not dead." Aero reassured her.</p><p>As soon as he said that Penelope woke up and looked around. Then she sat up and looked at Aero with a grin. "You really are something else you know, so perfect and strong." She spoke in a yandere-ish way.</p><p>"Shut up. Just sit there quietly and rest." The Reaper replied.</p><p>Suddenly we heard a small cry and turned to notice Mara on the ground with a major nosebleed as his eyes trailed down Penelope's exposed figure. "H-Hey, y-you r-really need to p-put some c-clothes on now! Public n-nudity is a c-crime you k-know!"</p><p>Abelia took off her coat and put it over Penelope to cover her exposed areas. Then she glared at Mara with disgust. "Perv!"</p><p>"I'm not!" The ninja boy countered.</p><p>Kuma and I giggled while Aero facepalmed. I then extended my hand to Abelia in a friendly gesture. "Abelia, won't you please join us on our journey?"</p><p>The redhead looked shocked for a few minutes before replying. "W-what?! Why would you ask that of me? After what happened before how can you possibly ask me to be travel with you?"</p><p>I shrugged. "I have no idea really. I can see in your eyes that you are a good person, maybe that's why I'm asking. I feel like I can really place my trust in you. We can be both friends and rivals, train everyday together, bond and get to know one another, and we can literally have an adventure. I want you to work on giving me a reason to forgive you for what happened with Alex. Let's become great friends from know on and even greater rivals."</p><p>I extended my hand out to Abelia, who continued to stare at it for a few minutes. She then reached her hand out and shook it. "Very well, from now on I will acknowledge you as comrade and eternal rival. I will journey with you and watch your back until the day I can settle the score and defeat you."</p><p>Penelope shook my hand also. "I follow wherever Lady Abelia goes! I will also join in on this pact so that I may eventually defeat my rival, the one that you call Aero!" She grinned at the boy who just looked away in annoyance.</p><p>I nodded. "Now after we heal you both of your injuries we will start our journey again. With two new companions at our side."</p><p>We all started patching each other up again. I noticed that my wounds had healed while I had been unconscious, something that I found very strange. We got up and with map in hand continued to follow the path leading to the portal to the next world. I smiled to myself and looked at my new comrade Abelia, who looked away with embarrassment and was fiddling with her rapier. I looked ahead as we traveled, knowing that I had a new friend and rival to watch my back in the dangerous road ahead.               </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Teamwork Is The Key</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; Thanks to Aero's evolution into a Death Eater we were finally able to defeat the Neptunuas and continue our journey. Also thanks to Aero I was able to obtain the The Ancient Book Of Spells and reach a whole new level of magic power. We soon found our previous rivals Abelia and Penelope, who were fighting against this strange shadow creature called a Shadow Kin and were getting beaten badly. Even though I didn't want to I had to force Aero to help save them and after a tough fight we had finally took it down. We then challenged our rivals to a fight and settle our score with them, it was tough on both of us but somehow I was able to win (not sure how though). Aero finished his fight with Penelope using his new special move Bloodedge, he spared her and healed me (in a most unappealing way I might add) and we slowly got to know our rivals. I then decided to offer them a place in our party, I even offered Abelia the chance to continue being my rival and my friend. They accepted and are now currently traveling with us right now to get to the 1st world portal. Something tells me that it isn't going to be easy so wish us all luck, we might need it.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 11-Teamwork Is The Key</p><hr/><p>Our group were now following a path that we hoped lead to the Portal to the next realm. Mara and Penelope had taken the lead for us so far, the girl now had her clothes fixed (thanks to Kuma who was surprisingly good at sewing clothes back together) and was smiling happily that she was properly dressed again. Aero and I were walking behind them while Abelia and Kuma were discussing something behind us. Both girls had been surprisingly close and often talked about their respective combat forms. I had my map out and double checked the path to see if we were still going the correct way, then decided to break the silence by cutting into Abelia's conversation. "So Abelia, I'm glad that you decided to lend us your strength. It's good knowing that you have someone at your back when you're going into danger."</p><p>"I didn't really say that I would lend you my strength specifically. I only came along because you seemed to attract a lot powerful individuals to you. Plus you are my rival, I cannot allow anything to happen to you until I have defeated you in another duel and settled our score." Abelia explained.</p><p>"Whatever. Still, I'm glad that you joined us. Having you as a friend is much better than as an enemy." I said as I reached out my hand toward Abelia, who slapped it away roughly.</p><p>"Stop! The more mushier you act the more it makes my stomach churn. Unlike you I'm not here to make bonds, I'm here to fight!"</p><p>Suddenly I felt a large hostile presence coming toward us with blinding speed. We readied ourselves as a giant bear-like creature jumped out of the underbrush and stopped a few feet from us. I knew immediately that it was the same one that has appeared back when I had been tending to an injured Aero. I also had a feeling that we would meet again eventually but I had been so distracted with other events that I forgot about it. I was glad that I hadn't fought it before, because now it was radiating a huge and intense aura around it's body. It's soul felt angry and extremely aggravated, like it had just experienced some type of tragedy.</p><p>It roared at our party and tensed itself, ready to charge. We got into our battle stances and prepared for combat. "A Demon-class Ursa huh? This isn't good." Aero said.</p><p>Mara looked at him. "Why?"</p><p>"Demon-class monsters are unique creatures with overwhelming demonic power. They're usually created when they've been exposed to too much Chaos Energy. They are more aggressive than normal monsters and have a habit of attacking anything anything in sight with a soul. It'll be tough taking this thing down with even my powers, guess we'll have to fight it together then."</p><p>Penelope nodded with excitement. "Agreed! But to fight a creature this powerful we need to have a plan of attack."</p><p>"Right. Since most of us are close quarter fighters we should be able to do more damage to it's body and direct it's attention from the other group. Me, Mara, Abelia, and Penelope will fight it up close while the princess and Kuma cast spells to heal us and weaken it if possible."</p><p>"Wait, you don't want me to fight it directly too?" I asked.</p><p>The boy shook his head. "No, you and ninja girl are the most important factor. You both know a lot of ranged spells and you have to be ready to pick us back up if we get knocked down. We'll need your best light magic spells for something like that."</p><p>I nodded. "Alright then. Everyone, we have to use teamwork for this fight! Focus on hitting any weak spots or vital areas! If we can stop it's movements then we can beat it! Everyone got that?!"</p><p>They all nodded and answered with a "Understood/Yes Ma'am/Yes!" The bear started towards them and swung it's claws at Aero who had to parry one slash while Mara parried the other with his ninjato short sword. They pushed the monster back and both slashed it in perfect sync, leaving two long cuts on its chest. While they did this Penelope appeared behind the Ursa and cast a spell in the form of an ice beam at it's back, completely freezing the Ursa solid. Abelia jumped high above the bear and slashed down at it with unbelievable speeds. When she landed the redhead slowly sheathed her weapon and when it was fully put away the ice shattered into pieces. The monster hit the ground painfully and struggled to it's feet. The bear then charged it's demonic aura around it's body like flames and fired a red beam at my party, who all dodged the attack and watched as it destroyed the trees behind them and left a crater.</p><p>We all looked at the damage the attack had done with amazement. Mara looked at the destruction with a shocked expression. "One blast...had that much power behind it?!"</p><p>Aero nodded. "That's the power of a Demon-class for you. Just one of it's moves can do a lot of damage if it hits directly. I'm kinda afraid what would have happened if that had actually hit us."</p><p>"I am more surprised that it was able to walk off my attack so easily. This creature is far more powerful than any others we have encountered thus far." Abelia replied.</p><p>The Ursa charged it's attack again and prepared to fire until it was suddenly covered in flames. This was because of Kuma and I combining a fire and air spell together which had created a blazing tornado of flame that shrouded the bear. It thrashed around for a bit before blowing away the flames away with it's aura. I was breathing hard from putting so much power into the spell and Kuma tried her best to use her magic to refill her my own. "So it even managed to survive our combined attack. The durability of this beast is truly formidable. I was certain that the fire would do more damage and last longer." The ninja girl said.</p><p>I nodded. "I gave that spell all I had too. Just how strong is this thing?"</p><p>"A Demon-class has a lot more endurance than normal monsters. If you want to annihilate it you'll have to hit it with every spell in that book of yours." Aero explained.</p><p>The creature turned toward the two of us and readied itself to charge but was quickly interrupted by Aero as he tried to draw it's attention away from us. The boy swung his scythe at the beast with deadly skill but it only left minor scratches on the tank-like beast. The bear swung at him with its claws which clashed with Aero's weapon. The Ursa slammed it's paw into the weapon again with greater force that sent Aero flying away. It focused on the others and fired an energy blast at them but they all dodged and sprinted at the creature. Mara dropped low and slammed his knee into it's stomach which forced it back, Abelia jumped over his shoulders and slashed her rapier down it's exposed back. The monster winced from the wound and tried to go back on the offensive but it was suddenly frozen solid again thanks to Penelope's magic. It stayed like that for a few seconds before charging up it's aura and melting through the ice, freeing itself and growling in anger.</p><p>The Ursa focused it's aura around it's body in the shape of a destructive red shield, the beast's eyes became bloodshot and globs of drool dripped from it's fangs. We braced ourselves again as the creature roared it's powerful roar and kicked up a powerful wind. The Ursa slammed it's paw into the ground and created a mini crater under it's entire body. "How dare you filthy humans scar my body! I will rip your flesh apart and gnaw on your bones!"</p><p>"What The Hell?! The bear can talk? I didn't know monsters could talk!" Mara replied in shock, gripping his weapon tightly in fear.</p><p>The creature snarled with annoyance. "Of course we can talk you idiot! Just like you Soul Masters, we monsters can also speak the common tongue. There are some here who have given into madness and can no longer speak your ugly language. I however have retained my sanity from my life as a human and so I can speak as you do."</p><p>Penelope bowed to the creature. "Please forgive us for our ignorance Mr Ursa. We have underestimated just how intelligent you monsters truly are. Excuse me for asking you this but why exactly are you attacking us? Did we do something to upset you?" She said that in a polite manner but I could sense that Penelope's question was far away from being polite. In fact I could see the faint traces of an grin on the servant girl's lips that further proved my speculation.</p><p>The bear didn't seem to notice as it stared down the girl. "I only do what my mistress has asked me to." It said in more of a snarl than an actual explanation.</p><p>"Your mistress?" asked Aero.</p><p>The monster nodded. "She has blessed me with this power given to me by one of her loyal servants. I was instructed to eliminate you all and bring that cloak the girl is wearing back to my mistress." It looked at me as if it knew that I was it's target and licked it's lips hungrily. "You are quite the special one girl. My mistress has ordered me to keep only you and the reaper alive so that she can have your cloak and turn make you into one of her minions."</p><p>Mara cocked his head nonchalantly. "Sounds like your mistress is a real piece of work. I don't know why you're so interested in a girl's outfit but I can't let you just do whatever you want. That would be really bad on my reputation if I let a sweet girl like that get taken away by some disgusting teddy bear." He got into a ready stance with his short sword near his side.</p><p>"What did you just say to me filthy human?! You're going to die first for that insult!" The monster growled angrily and charged at Mara who dashed to intercept it's attack. He blocked the massive paw with his ninjato and deflected another blow, then he swung his foot at the bear's chest and sprung off of it while back-flipping. The ninja boy threw a explosive kunai at the bear's feet and created a damaging explosion and a huge smokescreen. As the bear tried to find it's opponent it suddenly winced in pain and recoiled for a counterattack but all the bear could see was a green flash jumping around it's body like a gnat. When the smoke cleared the bear was staring at Mara who had his back turned to it and was slowly sheathing his ninjato. When the blade entered it's sheathe the bear was suddenly gasped in pain and it's body had was littered with cuts which started to bleed and stain its fur red. The beast fell to the ground and glared at the boy in anger while Mara returned the glare with a smile.</p><p>"You like that? That was my one of my special techniques, <strong>Mara Style Combo #5; Ninja Blade Dance</strong>. It's a technique that I named after myself just like the name of style itself. I have over 30 of them all and they all show off just how awesome I am. Pretty cool right?" The ninja boy asked with a cocky grin.</p><p>The bear coughed up blood and snarled. "Naming a technique after yourself? You are pretty arrogant and loud aren't you brat?"</p><p>"Damned straight! Someday soon I'm going to be the greatest ninja this world have ever seen! I won't let some dumb freak like you take a star like me down anytime soon." The boy's grin widened as he did a thumbs up to the sky. We looked at him and comically sweat-dropped, even the bear looked at him with a strange look before bursting out in laughter. It surprised Mara and based on his expression crept him out as the creature's laugh grew wild and sounded more like choking than actual laughter. "W-what's so funny?"</p><p>"I-I apologize for that! It's just...you are the most amusing human that I have met in a very long time! You say such ridiculous things like that and who wouldn't laugh?" The beast continued to laugh for a few seconds before it suddenly stopped and looked sharply at Mara. "Alright boy, you have caught my attention! I want you to show me your strength! How high will you go before you come crashing down to earth and your bubble bursts? Show me your power and I may consider sparing your friends and forming a contract with you myself."</p><p>Mara pounded his fist into his open palm. "Sounds good! I'll kick your ass and force you to help us out. I can tell you I'd be a far better boss than the one your working for."</p><p>The creature readied itself. "Very well then, come at me whenever your ready boy!" The creature suddenly charged at Mara and slashed it's claw at him. Mara avoided the attack with a flash step and slammed his elbow into the bear from behind. The creature went sliding backwards and crushed the ground with it's claws, stopping it's movement and refacing it's Ursa fired a laser at the boy but was left shocked when Mara flipped over it with ease. The boy swung his blade at the monster but it was intercepted by a slash. The two started to clash for a short while until Mara finally back-flipped away from the creature.</p><p>"Heh-heh-heh, you're pretty strong ya know." Mara said, panting hard.</p><p>"Heh-heh-heh, you are as well boy. It has been sometime since I had such a troublesome opponent. Besides one of my mistress's servants, you are the second being to drive me to my limits. I think that it is time I show you the true chaotic power that I have been blessed with!" The Ursa said as it powered it's dangerous aura around it's entire body. The fire like aura literally scorched the ground and kicked up a violent wind that pushed everyone back. As the wind died down the bear was covered in red armor with demonic runes all over it. "Behold! This is the power of Chaos, my true power!"</p><p>Mara entered a battle stance and readied himself but then was surprised as he felt someone push him back. Aero stepped in front of him and got into a readied stance. "Stay back kid, things are about to get really dangerous now."</p><p>"What the hell are you doing?! This is my fight, I'll handle it!" Mara ranted.</p><p>Aero shook his head. "You won't be able to fight this thing by yourself anymore. The situation just changed for the worst, if we're gonna win we all need to work together."</p><p>Our group readied our weapons and prepared for the bear's advance. The Ursa charged at us with unbelievable speed and blasted us away with surprising power. We all went flying and hit the ground hard, the monster roared in triumph and advanced toward Aero. I tried to distract it by shooting a few bullets, but that only annoyed the monster more and it fired a red beam at me. Kuma appeared in front of me and took the blunt of the attack, she was sent backwards and slammed through a tree. The girl coughed up blood and fell into unconsciousness. Mara ran over to check on her while the others continued to battle the creature.</p><p>Aero charged at the monster and attacked it ruthlessly with his scythe, but somehow the attacks had no affect on the beast's enchanted armor. It slashed at him, but it's attack was intercepted by Penelope who was able to force it back with her daggers. The two unleashed cooperative attacks on their opponent that did only minimal damage to the bear's massive frame. The Ursa knocked them back with it's aura then slashed at them but thankfully the blow was blocked by Abelia. She unleashed a chain of stabs and elegant dodges that forced the monster to go on the defensive. She pointed her rapier toward the ground and slid the flat of her hand down the thin blade, causing it to glow light blue.</p><p>
  <strong>"Royal Empress Style; Imperial Waltz!"</strong>
</p><p>Abelia rushed at the creature and stabbed it at incredible speeds. All it could do was take the damage and it was surprised to feel that some of it's armor started to slightly peel. The girl jumped back as the bear snapped toward her pretty face, then suddenly she fell to a knee and started to pant heavily.</p><p>"Damn! I used a lot of energy in that one move so I could break it's armor. I-I can hardly move." She looked up as the bear loomed over her and swung its huge paw at her, knocking the redhead through the air and into the ground painfully. She passed out as well, her weapon slipping out of her hand.</p><p>"Lady Abelia!"</p><p>Penelope ran toward her partner and guarded her from the advancing enemy. She fired an ice spell at the bear but was shocked when she saw it had no effect. The creature charged it's energy and rushed the girl with a fire-like aura around it's body. As it closed in on her the bear felt something slam into it's side with great force. It looked and saw Mara, his face full of anger and fury. The boy slammed his fist into the creature's side and sent it flying sideways. It braced the damage and focused it's attention completely on Mara.</p><p>The boy's face was masked in rage, all I could see from the normally cheerful ninja was an angry snarl on his face. He cracked his knuckles and looked at his opponent with distaste. "I'll make you pay for what you did! My dear sweet Kuma, my Partner is in pain because of you! You won't get away with hurting my friends!"</p><p>"W-what is this? This boy...he's different than he was previously. What is this feeling? Is it...fear? What is he?!" The bear thought to itself. There was a strange feeling that was slowly gathering in it's heart. This one boy was able to make it feel this way? Just what exactly was he indeed.</p><p>"I'm gonna make you pay! I'll use it, my hidden technique! A famous move that the people of my clan worshiped and was forgotten over the years. My master taught this move to me in case I was ever in a life or death battle just like this. I always hid my true nature from people because I'm afraid of being judged for my heritage. My clan of were ninja assassins, the most bloodthirsty warriors in all the world and former demon followers. You'd better prepare yourself monster because your soul is about to be mine! <strong>The Legendary Jutsu, Senjutsu!"</strong></p><p>Mara's skin suddenly began to turn red and his hair spiked up and flew up as if it were alive. The boy's pupils turned bright red while the whites around the eyes turned dark green. Mara flexed his muscles and you could see them stretch and pop while the veins were exposed. The boy yelled at the top of his lungs and the ground started to shake around him, the wind started to kick up and we had to brace ourselves against how harsh the breeze became. When it was all over, Mara looked completely different. He looked like a god or demon in human form with dark red and raw looking skin and having a well built physique. His hair was bright green and was floating upward in the breeze. His clothing was the same, except they looked a little tighter on his now muscular body. Mara's aura felt so intimidating and demonic that it scared me with it's intensity and didn't feel like the same optimistic and kind energy he normally radiated at all. It was like he had become a beast similar to the Ursa before them.</p><p>The boy glared at the bear with his sharp demonic eyes, then he flashed a determined yet sadistic grin. "This is the power of <strong>Senjutsu Level 1</strong>. It is a form that focuses on physical strength in exchange for Soul Energy and stamina. It gives the user incredible strength, speed, and agility at the cost of their lifespan. <strong>Senjutsu</strong> has a total of five forms, each one takes more energy out of me and shaves off more of my life. It's all thanks to my great control over Soul Energy that I can use this form at all but it isn't perfect."</p><p>The creature stared at Mara in confusion. "What?"</p><p>"I still have a long way to go in mastering this form so I don't use it very often. Instead I have an ability that is unique to only me that I can rely on. I can release different restrictions inside my body and force energy into a specific point. That's how I use my Soul Force ability. I can unleash all the Soul Energy in my body into one giant burst. I normally use this when I hit something but when I put it together with <strong>Senjutsu </strong>it becomes crazy powerful. I'll show you just how much power I have now."</p><p>The boy suddenly vanished in a red blur. The Ursa searched around but couldn't find the ninja anywhere. It seemed to sense something right above it and got into a defensive stance. When the bear looked up it gasped as Mara came down toward the creature and slammed his fist into it's back with bone shattering force. The red armor shattered on impact, shards flying everywhere and vanishing when they hit the ground. Mara backflipped off the monster and landed on his feet athletically. He gave the monster time to regain it's feet then quickly did incredibly swift handsigns.</p><p>"<strong>Ninja Art; Fireball Technique!"</strong></p><p>Mara cupped his hands over his mouth and blew out a red fireball at his opponent. It grew in size as it approached it's target until it was the size of a mini sun. The fireball slammed into the creature and caused a giant explosion that completely engulfed the Ursa in flames. The flames smoldered for a few moments before finally dying down. The bear had half it's body scorched and smoking while the other looked relatively normal. The beast stood motionless for a few seconds before falling to it's knees. Mara approached the bear with a grin on his face before suddenly falling over on the ground. There was a flash of red light and the boy returned to normal. He tried to push himself up but couldn't seem to move, instead he looked at the creature and chuckled slightly.</p><p>"Hehe, see? I told you that I'd win." Mara coughed for a few moments before continuing. "Now you have to work for us."</p><p>"It's not over yet boy!"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>The boy gasped as he saw the Ursa lift itself up in pain. The bear looked as if it was about to fall again but it determinedly stood back on it's paws. It swayed for a few moments before glaring at Mara with intense killing intent in it's eyes. The monster charged it's chaotic aura around itself and focused it all on the defenseless boy.</p><p>"It appears that you are at your limit. I must say that you were a very strong opponent for a human. It's been years since I had such a great battle with someone like you. The demonic power you radiated was like nothing I ever seen before. It would be dangerous if my mistress had to go up against such power so I will kill you now and put an end to it. Goodbye!"</p><p>The bear opened it's mouth and charged another beam. Aero ran toward Mara and summoned a dark barrier to protect the two. I assisted by focusing dark magic into Aero so that the barrier could be strengthened, I then cast a light barrier around myself so that I wouldn't be effected by the impact of the incoming attack. The creature fired the beam at the two boys, shooting straight at them like an arrow. It collided with the barrier and completely engulfed it. The beam exploded violently, kicking up fierce winds and blowing away all those around the battlefield. After the wind died down and the smoke cleared the entire area looked as if a tornado had torn straight through it. I coughed to clear myself of the smoke and looked over to check on two friends and sighed with relief, they had managed to survive that crazy attack. Aero was breathing heavily but had made sure he was in front of Mara in case the barrier had broken and the energy had leaked through. All in all they fortunately weren't injured.</p><p>Aero released his barrier which shattered apart like glass, then fell to his knees in exhaustion. "I can't believe I had to put that much magic power into that barrier. I don't think I can cast something like that again for awhile. Hey princess, are you able to power me up a little more?"</p><p>"S-sure thing!"</p><p>I closed my eyes and focused some of my remaining energy into my partner. Aero stood back up on his two feet and nodded a "thanks" to me. The son of Death readied his scythe and prepared to engage the wounded Ursa again until something unexpected happened. A ray of light appeared in the middle of the two and blocked them off from each other.</p><p>"What the hell is that?" asked Aero, confused.</p><p>I shook my head, equally confused. "No idea. Wait a minute...that aura. It feels familiar somehow. Just who or what is that?"</p><p>We continued to watch as the light slowly started to fade. What was standing in front of us was a very familiar old man.</p><p>"Ty?!" The two us both exclaimed in surprise.</p><p>Sure enough the old man priest from before was standing before us. The man's white hair flowed wildly and thrashed in the wind. He still had his white priest robes on with his two dual swords in both hands. Ty had his back to us with what seemed to be a confident air. He then looked over his shoulder and flashed us a grin.</p><p>"Good to see you again my old friends. I am here to repay the debt that I owe you. I also see that you have some new allies along for the ride as well. Allow me to handle this for you and then patch up your injured friends."</p><p>The Ursa glared at the new arrival with an angry expression. "Who are you? Do you intend to get in the way of my mistress as well?"</p><p>"Your mistress? I do not know who that is. I am only here to repay a debt. Why are you bothering these youths here?" asked Ty.</p><p>"My mission was to capture that girl and bring her to my mistress. Her cloak is important to her plans and I owe her a great deal for her assistance. Know that I will devour anyone who interferes in my current task."</p><p>Ty put his hand on his chin. "I see. Well then I'm afraid I cannot allow you to go through with that. You've hurt so many of their friends today, I will stop you from doing any further damage."</p><p>The priest got into a fighting stance and gestured for the bear to come at him. The Ursa snarled angrily and charged at Ty, trying to ram him. Ty easily jumped over the creature, getting behind it but not attacking for some reason. He just glanced over his shoulder at it and waited for the next attack. The bear fired a red energy ball at the old man who angled his body so that it could be easily dodged. Angered, the bear charged at Ty again and slashed at him with it's claws with incredible speed. The man matched his opponent's speed and avoided every attack. Ty appeared behind the creature suddenly and blew it away with a blast of his aura, sending it flying but it stopped itself by digging it's claws into the ground.</p><p>Ty dashed at the Ursa with his blades at his sides. He vanished and appeared above the bear, slashing it's exposed back. The bear roared in pain and tried to hit the priest but he was quicker, backstepping away from the fatal strike just in time. The old man and the bear then fought at incredible speeds, dodging, guarding, and countering eachother's attacks. Eventually they distanced themselves from one another to take a breathe.</p><p>"Interesting." Ty exclaimed. "You are stronger than I expected."</p><p>"That is because of the power that my mistress has bestowed upon me. The energies of Chaos are something that normal monsters and humans cannot control except for my mistress's servants and I. Thanks to this I have become a powerful being among other beasts!"</p><p>"Overconfident are we? You know there is a saying that pride is a sin, the more you gloat and boost yourself up the harder it is when you fail. You also seem to have an admiration for this mistress of yours. Tell me, who is she?"</p><p>"You think I will talk? Fool, all I will say to you is that she has powerful allies. They are as strong as I am, far more so perhaps."</p><p>"Oh really? I think that is the end to my questions, let us finish this fight." Ty said as he readied his swords at his sides. He charged at the bear and suddenly four more Ty's appeared in front of the creature. It looked around in confusion and attacked them all in hopes of hitting the real Ty. All the clones disappeared but the priest still couldn't be found until suddenly the bear felt a presence behind it. When it turned it saw Ty with his back facing it and his swords at his sides, then it suddenly was seeing in two directions. The bear's skull and body had been completely cut in half down the middle, both halves falling to the ground in opposite directions. It was dead before then however as its corpse dissolved and its red soul ascended into the sky.</p><p>Ty sheathed his swords and connected his hands in a prayer gesture towards the bear's corpse. "Let your soul reach salvation and return to the heavens with your fellow monsters. I wish you a safe journey through the beyond my friend. Amen." The priest lifted his head and walked towards Aero and me. We looked at Ty with absolute astonishment in our eyes. I looked down at myself and noticed that my hands and legs were trembling. After the skill that the priest used displayed that was no surprise. Who was this guy and just how strong is he? That was the questions running through my head as I processed what had just happened.</p><p>The priest knelled in front of me and offered a warm smile before he offered his hand to me. "Come child, the danger has passed. I will assist you in the healing of your friends." I stared up into the priest's eyes for a few moments wearily, then I decided to accept the offered hand and stood up.</p><p>Aero defensively stood next to me and glared at Ty questionably. "What do you want?"</p><p>"Pardon?"</p><p>"I asked what do you want? What is your intention for showing up just when we were in trouble to save us? You're apart of my father's competition too right? Why would you help us knowing full well that we're enemies and that we'll wind up fighting later on?"</p><p>Ty thought of this for a moment before smiling and answering nonchalantly. "Because I needed to repay the debt from before."</p><p>"Bullshit! You just took care of that thing easily without our help, you could have took out that bird the same way." Aero barked at the priest, grabbing him by the collar of his robes.</p><p>"And yet on that day you still helped me. Most others would have thought as you had and ignored me but you came in without as much as a thought. I am merely repaying a favor that I owe you two. I haven't seen that other young man with you here, what happened to him?"</p><p>Aero's angry features quickly changed to a sad and depressed one, he released the priest and looked to the side. "Gone. He got beaten in a battle and his partner died in front of us. He was returned back to the human world and had his memory wiped. We then met these guys soon after." He gestured towards the others.</p><p>Ty nodded sadly. "I see. I am very sorry for your loss, I hope he has a peaceful life and that you will meet him again someday. Come now, we must attend to the injured." He walked over to Mara's unconscious body and lifted the boy into his arms. I gently dragged Kuma along while Aero grabbed Abelia and Penelope by the back of their collars and brought them along. We rested a few feet from the battle spot and began healing our companions. I was surprised that Ty was good at using healing spells as I was. I didn't have much experience over practicing with Kuma but he was a professional in the field. With just one touch Mara's wounds completely healed and the boy regained consciousnesses instantly. What would have taken me almost half an hour to heal Kuma, Abelia, and Penelope, Ty did it to Mara in only a few seconds.</p><p>After everyone was patched up and had regained consciousnesses they all sat around while Ty told them how he had defeated the Ursa. Abelia raised her hand with a confused look on her face. "I apologize for interrupting your story but you didn't explain who you were."</p><p>Ty acknowledged her question with an apologetic smile. "Where are my manners? Forgive me, when you are as old as I am you tend to forget important things sometimes. My name is Ty, I am a good friend of these two here. Pleased to meet you all."</p><p>My friends bowed their heads to the man in respect, all except Mara that is. They all introduced themselves and I explained how we had met the old priest. I turned to Ty and bowed my head in thanks. "Thank you for saving us Ty. We would have all died if you hadn't have come along."</p><p>The priest waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Think nothing of it. I was just helping friends is all."</p><p>"Friends?" Asked Aero as he glared skeptically and the old man. "How are we your friends?"</p><p>"I told you, you two kind souls protected this old man when others wouldn't have. To repay your debt I will safely escort you all to the portal leading to the next realm."</p><p>"You're too kind sir." Kuma said as she bowed to Ty like a traditional Japanese samurai. "We thank you for your kindness and for rescuing us. I'm sure we would be honored for you to accompany us on our quest, isn't that right Mara?"</p><p>The boy rolled his eyes in a bored manner. "We don't need help. We've been perfectly fine on our own if you ask me. Besides which he stole my kill. I wanted to make that thing my familiar." Something slammed into the back of his head and knocked him flat on his face. Abelia rubbed her left hand, which was the same one she used to strike Mara, and looked away as if nothing happened. Mara glared at her angrily. "The hell you do that for?!"</p><p>"My apologies, you were being an idiot again. It shouldn't matter if you captured it's soul or not because you probably wouldn't have known how to use it anyway. You would be died if this man hadn't saved you, maybe you should be more thankful."</p><p>"Whatever." Mara looked away with a pout, rubbing his throbbing head.</p><p>I sighed at their banter. "Anyway, I think it's a good idea for you to come along. You can help us take care of any tough monster or competitor that we might run into until we reach the portal. Thanks for the offer."</p><p>Ty smiled. "You're very welcome miss. Shall we continue onward then?"</p><p>"Yeah sure, let's go!"</p><p>After a few minutes our group started back on our path to the portal. Even fully healed Mara was still low on energy and had to be supported by Kuma who had his arm around her and was making slow progress in keeping up with us. I looked over at Aero and noticed that he was glaring intensely at Ty's back. Stricken with curiosity I tapped his shoulder and confronted him about it.</p><p>"Let me guess, you don't trust him?"</p><p>Aero nodded. "I still don't see what his angle is. He might say that he helped us for a good cause but that can't possibly be it right? Don't let your guard down around him alright?"</p><p>"Yeah sure, but I think it's alright. He doesn't seem bad or anything. You thought the same thing about Mara and yet you two got along quickly."</p><p>The boy shook his head. "That kid's different. This guy feels like he's hiding something. Just keep an eye on him until we reach the next zone got it?"</p><p>"Understood."</p><p>We walked for an hour or so with no monsters having bothered us nor did we sense anyone close by. For the first time since I got here I finally was able to enjoy the awesome beauty that the underworld had to offer. I had always wondered what it was like since I was little. It was nothing like the books on Greek mythology that I read in middle school said. I vaguely remembered from my sister's stories about our childhood when I was three years old our family always went to Church. They told us many times that the underworld was a desolate place yet the people wouldn't have believed the things that I saw around me. After the death of our parents we stopped going and I was forced to live on the streets with my big sister like a homeless child. We had to steal and we suffered harsh treatment during those times until we met a kind woman with a lot of money who adopted us. The whole time I never forgot my curiosity for the underworld and what it was like, even hoping that our parents were resting peacefully there. Never did I expect that the underworld would be full of so much vegetation and color. It almost hid the fact that world was dangerous and death could come at any moment.</p><p>We finally found a small area in which we could finally rest for the night. Kuma offered to cook for us again but Ty did it instead while the others sat down and rested. I helped Kuma lower Mara on the ground and rested his back on a tree. I then went over and sat next to Aero who was sitting crosslegged on the ground with a bored look on his face. I looked over to the side and saw Abelia and Penelope not too far away, patiently awaiting the meal that Ty was preparing. I took a deep relaxing breathe and smiled, then I turned to Aero and broke the silence. "Interesting day it's been huh?"</p><p>"Yeah it has. We almost died a few times but it was certainly an interesting so far."</p><p>I nodded. "All we've done so far is fight for our lives. I've only been here for a short time but it feels like I'm already getting used to it."</p><p>Aero closed his eyes for a few moments before he spoke. "Now you see the true nature of this place. Dad has been trying to end the violence here for awhile but even his power can't seem to accomplish that. I gave up on his idea of peace along time ago. In here all there is nothing but fighting for survival. You're lucky if you become a half-life like some of the souls here, if you manage it than Dad will give you a free pass into the next world. But if you're a living person then you're in serious trouble since monsters are more attracted to the living than the dead."</p><p>"R-really?" I nervously asked.</p><p>"Don't worry about it, I promised I'd protect you didn't I? This place is difficult to live in for normal mortals like you but with a monster or another half-life at your side you don't really have much to worry about. Besides you still need to help me take over my Dad's position remember? I won't let anything happen to precious resource like you."</p><p>I sweatdropped and sighed. "So I'm just a tool to you until then huh? Hey, you never told me why you want to become the new Reaper anyway? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I'll understand-"</p><p>He shook his head. "No it's alright. I'll tell you my reason. I want to take over my father's position because I want to do what he can't, turn this world into a peaceful place. I used to support his struggle to make this place perfect. I grew sick of watching human souls get devoured by monsters and seeing so many souls become twisted abominations. Eventually though I saw that even though Dad was fighting hard to force other the monsters to follow his philosophy he was also trying to force his power over them. Dad was threatening them to join his cause and rumors started spreading on how he was becoming more of a Tyrant than the old ruler was, I was starting to see that for myself too. That's when my views began to change. I decided that someday I would grow strong enough to walk a path similar to my Father, but instead I would try another method in bringing peace. I've been training nonstop with my brothers and sisters, increasing my strength and building connections until I could become as popular as Dad. Unfortunately that still didn't end the fact that I was still fifth in line to rule. What I was really seeking after though was the power of evolution, a power that no one could ever hope to match, not even my father. But I could never do it...no matter how hard I trained I could never achieve that power. It pissed me off to no end for along time. I was told by my mother that my evolution was different compared to others. It would only happen if I had a Soul Master partner by my side to give me strength, something that I personally disliked."</p><p>"You mean...me?" I asked.</p><p>Aero nodded. "Growing up I've always been a loner compared to the rest of my family. I was never good at fighting with others. I always thought of partners as things that would just slow me down and make me weak. I distanced myself away from people because I knew that they would end up getting in the way of my ambition. That is until I heard that about Dad's tournament. I knew that would be my only opportunity to take my Dad's place as Lord Of The Underworld. I searched for the one with the most powerful soul but there weren't any who fit my standards until we met at the Doors Of Death. Your soul was much more different from the others that I had met... so pure and kind yet bursting with endless potential waiting to be unlocked. I couldn't let the chance escape me so I escorted you to father's palace safely and for the first time ever offered the soul-linking contract. I'm glad that I made it with someone like you actually. Since we connected I've been getting more power from you than I ever thought possible and because of that I finally managed to evolve. I guess I should thank you for helping me reach a state that I never would have gotten to one my own."</p><p>I shook my head. "No need. I'm glad to have helped in whatever way I did. I've been meaning to also ask about evolution, what is that exactly?"</p><p>"Basically it's a process that monsters go through when their strength increases to an appropriate amount and their bodies need to change to adapt to the sudden shift. It's a natural process that is very similar to animals who evolve to adapt to different climates. When I evolved in power my body started to produce a large amount of mana that my body deemed too powerful for my normal state to control, and as a result I became what I am now. A Death Eater."</p><p>I thought deeply about that for a few minutes before responding. "I think I understand that. And how many evolutions do you have left?"</p><p>"Two I think. Wow I'm surprised that you managed to catch on so quickly."</p><p>"What's that supposed to mean?! It's not like I'm some idiot you know! I'm just new to the laws of this damn world you jerk!" I punched the boy in the shoulder, he just took it and and looked away from my.</p><p>"Sorry. I won't underestimate your intelligence again."</p><p>Abelia joined in the conversation. "So that is how it works does it? I've heard something similar from Penelope before. So in order to achieve evolution you have to have a lot of battle experience with strong opponents. Yes, that seems reasonable."</p><p>Penelope spoke up as well. "But I've fought many battles before and I haven't evolved yet. I wonder why?"</p><p>"When I first evolved it happened when the princess here was in danger. It's like I heard her calling to me and I felt an urge to protect her. Then suddenly all this incredible power started flowing through me and I turned into this form." Aero explained to them.</p><p>Penelope played with her hair. "It must have had something to do with your emotions. When you sensed she was in danger your mana must have reacted based on the current situation. You were fighting a powerful foe and as such your body changed to best handle the problem."</p><p>I scratched my head in confusion. "So are you trying to say Aero evolved to protect me or was it because of something else."</p><p>"No doubt it was to protect you."</p><p>I sighed in relief. "Alright then."</p><p>The meal was finally fully prepared and Ty called us over to eat. We gathered around and dug in and I was amazed at how incredible the meal tasted. I closed my eyes and savored every bite. I looked at Ty with a satisfied expression. "This is amazing. Where'd you learn to be such a great cook?"</p><p>The old man smiled warmly at the question. "Why I have had quite a passion for cooking since I was a young boy. I would always prepare meals for my parents and for the local church from time to time. They couldn't eat enough of my cooking."</p><p>"I can see why! This is the best meal I've ever had!" I felt a sudden chill run down my spine. I looked behind me and saw Kuma in the corner, tucked into a ball with a dark aura surrounding her. She was mumbling to herself so I had to tilt my head to hear her better.</p><p>"If I remember correctly you said much the same about my cooking. I put my heart and soul into my dishes and you say the priest's food surpassed my own. Why am I never appreciated for all the hard work that I do?" She repeated to herself in sadness. I felt guilty and moved over to her for comfort.</p><p>"Your cooking is good too Kuma. I'd say that it is just as delicious as Ty's."</p><p>Kuma looked over her shoulder at me friend. "You just said that my cooking was good and his was amazing. You are aware that there is a major difference between the two?"</p><p>Mara came over and put a hand on my shoulder. "Just leave her alone for a while. Her moods tend to get like this when someone beats her at things she's usually good at. She'll swap moods real soon." I looked between the two ninja for a moment before returning to my spot with our other allies.</p><p>After we were finished our group decided to turn in for the night. We concluded that by tomorrow we would reach the portal and had been currently thinking of a strategy just in case we ran into trouble. Me, Aero, Ty, Abelia, and Penelope were engaged in this strategy meeting while Mara and Kuma slept.</p><p>"On our way to the portal there is a great chance that we could run into powerful Soul Masters and their Assets. No doubt the weaker fish will let them pass through so they can try to block off stragglers like us. There's even a chance that a team will sent a few members of their party through the portal as scouts and leave their more stronger allies outside the portal to prevent anyone from following. We could be walking straight into an enemy trap if we don't make the proper preparations." Explained Aero.</p><p>"I agree with your assessment. There is a huge possibility we could be ambushed and since we don't know the terrain the enemy will hold the advantage." Abelia speculated. "Better to get rid of the competition in one go instead of facing them later right? As expected from cowards, it makes sense that they would stoop to such inane tactics."</p><p>"Welcome to the Hell Games Red. In this tournament playing fair isn't taken with open arms. Their strategy is good and well thought out. Taking care of any future problems or threats make winning easier." The boy answered.</p><p>Ty nodded at this. "That is correct. The opponents that we are facing will be clever and dangerous. Who knows how powerful they are if we have to engage them in battle. There is a chance that many of you will not survive the encounter." He addressed this to everyone present. "There will be many outcomes in the battles to come."</p><p>"That does seem like a difficult situation." said Penelope. "Not knowing how strong our enemy is going to be and having no real tactics too use in case we engage them in combat is rather frustrating. And what about the matter of that mysterious woman who sent that monster after us, what if we have to fight her?"</p><p>Aero put a hand on his chin, thinking it over. "Based on what the thing said this woman is after my partner only. We don't know why but it looks like it has something to do with the cloak she's wearing. But I understand why she wants her specifically though."</p><p>I interjected in the conversation. "I don't understand it either. What's the deal with this cloak and what does she want me for?"</p><p>Aero shook his head. "No idea. I was told by my dad that the cloak you're currently wearing was made by a dear friend of his, some wizard or something. The power it holds is vast and can turn the wearer into a strong magic user as well. I honestly don't know the specifics but that doesn't really matter right now. We should just focus on what's ahead and not go insane trying to know why this strange lady wants from you."</p><p>Ty nodded. "I agree. We must focus out attention on the current situation. Please try not to overthink too much dear miss."</p><p>I smiled and nodded at the statement. "You're both right. I shouldn't be thinking on the why's or what's right now. I need to pay attention on what is in front of me."</p><p>"Alright then." Aero replied as he turned his attention back to the meeting. "I think that if we do encounter any opposition it would be a good idea to pit one of our members against the correct opponent. To do so we need to know exactly what each of our attributes are and what they are categorized under."</p><p>"How do you purpose we do that?" Asked Penelope.</p><p>"Leave that to me everyone." Ty answered. "I have a special method planned tomorrow morning just for the very concept. It should help you all know your strengths and weaknesses as well as improve your cooperation."</p><p>"Our cooperation?" I asked. "Why would we need to improve that?"</p><p>Ty nodded his head at my question. 'Because teamwork is the key to success my dear girl. In every battle it is important to build a sense of trust and mutual respect for you and your corresponding partners. But that isn't the only thing though, you all have to be able to work with others as well when it is needed. There is a chance that not all of you are completely compatible with one another yet and so my method will build trust among you and turn you all into a true team. The best way to do this is by knowing your partners strengths and combine them with your own, to know their weakness and defend them from those who would exploit it. By tomorrow you all should have some sense of trust and defeat anyone who stands in your path."</p><p>I thought about his explanation deeply for a few moments before replying. "Yeah you're right. That sounds like it can benefit us all. Let's make sure we get plenty of rest so we can start this exercise first thing in the morning everyone!" They all nodded and turned in for the night. Aero offered to take first watch but Ty insisted he do it instead. He didn't wake us up at all for our watches as we slept, I think it was so we were fully prepared for whatever training he had in mind tomorrow.</p><p>The next morning everyone quickly ate breakfast and got together as Ty had instructed. We were all well rested, something that surprised most of us because we figured he'd be more strict on getting us ready. Ty explained to us the reason why which was just as I expected. Mara raised his hand and Ty addressed him as if expecting the boy to be the first one to react. "Wait-wait, hold on a sec. So you basically took all our night watches just so we could be at our best? How are you gonna teach us whatever it is you want to show us when you didn't even catch a wink of sleep?"</p><p>Ty waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Do not worry about me my boy. A man my age is prone to sleeping a lot true but as you know I am far from being you're normal old man. I trained myself to go two or three days without sleep and it has never affected my fighting ability in the slightest."</p><p>Mara's eyes brightened with amazement. "You're serious? Can you show me how to do that? It sounds like a badass technique that a ninja should know. Are you sure you're just a priest?"</p><p>The man laughed kindly. "Hohoho, you are a observant young man but yes I am sure. One day perhaps I will teach you that technique but as for now how about I show you this one instead? It will be just as helpful."</p><p>"You mean about our teamwork?" I asked.</p><p>"Precisely! Have any of you ever heard of a concept known as Tethering?" Ty asked while scanning all of their faces. When no one spoke up he continued speaking. "Alright then. Tethering is basically another term for linking. It allows two party members to sync their minds together as one. In this process both partners are connected by an invisible tether that comes from the center of the spine. Once the two tethers are linked together than the two members can read eachother's thoughts, enabling the two to create strategies among themselves without having to say a word to the opponent. This also allows the pair to know exactly what kind of attack will be used and you are able to combine special techniques. For example if one uses a powerful spell and the other uses a spell that matches the same one then the two will be able to cast a coordinated spell made of both elements."</p><p>I put a hand on my chin in serious thought. "Yeah. That sounds pretty reasonable. But hold on, some of us have already done coordinated attacks already. Is there a difference?"</p><p>"That is true, I've noticed that you all have used techniques with each other already. But there is a huge difference though. Through the use of Tethering both partners will know exactly which spell the other is casting and the exact moment where they should add theirs into the mix. Believe me when I say that Tethering gives you a huge advantage in the field of battle."</p><p>Aero nodded his head slowly. "I know about Tethering, it's exactly as he said it was. I never tried it but I heard some say it saved them from some pretty rough situations."</p><p>Ty smiled. "Indeed it has. Tethering provides a more tactical method in combat. I plan to teach you all the values of this ability." The man nodded at his words and addressed them all with authority. "Alright everyone, shall we begin?!"</p><p>Our group all nodded and answered as one. "Yes/yeah!"</p><p>"Very good. Now I will be pairing you all into two teams that I believe have compatible attributes and skills. Miss Darkmoon will partner with Miss Valentine, Lord Aero will partner up with young Mara, and Miss Kuma shall work together with Miss Penelope."</p><p>Me and Abelia both gasped and replied at the same time. "What?! I have to work with her?!" We glared at one another and then looked away angrily. "No way!"</p><p>Ty nodded. "Yes, you two must work together if you want to become a better team in the future. I've noticed that the two of you share the same skill with swords and magical attributes. You must find a way to combine both of your abilities and coordinate your moves together if you wish to grow."</p><p>I looked down at my shoes for a few moments as I registered his words, then glanced up briefly at Abelia. "I understand what you're saying Ty but I'm not sure if it will work. Abelia is better at swords than I am, though I hate to admit it. I don't think I can keep up with her."</p><p>Abelia nodded in agreement, her typical superiority showing itself once again. "She's right. She will probably get in my way over being of help to me. Besides, I prefer to fight alone anyway."</p><p>The man shook his head. "You don't have a choice in the matter. You two must learn to fight as a pair or you'll end up dead on the battlefield. We will begin now!"</p><p>We reluctantly nodded and everyone moved to stations where the priest told us to. Aero and Mara stood close to one another as if they were lifelong friends. Kuma and Penelope readied themselves in their station, both girls were incredibly calm and showed no sign of emotion. Abelia and my pair however were 8 meters from one another and we refused to look at the eachother. Ty stood in front of all our pairs with his swords in hand and started the activity.</p><p>"Alright everyone, let us begin. One team at a time will attack me and if I deem that you can successfully use a Tether and work together completely than you will pass. The first team to go first will be the Aero/Mara team."</p><p>The two boys nodded and drew their weapons. Aero swung his scythe around skillfully and approached Ty while Mara followed cautiously, ninjato in hand. Suddenly the boy impatiently launched himself at the priest and barraged the man with sword strikes, all of which were countered with ease. He forced the ninja back and sent him flying with a strong slash. Aero vanished and caught the boy with perfect timing then the two charged at Ty. Aero exchanged slashes with the man while Mara tried to attack from the rear. Ty saw him coming and intercepted the attack with a backhand slash. The two boys retreated from their opponent and studied him cautiously.</p><p>Mara attacked the man again, this time more cautiously. Aero joined in the assault while Ty battled them away with ease. The priest deflected a blow from Aero and kicked Mara in the chest, then spun in an arc and forced the two back. The boys glanced at one another briefly before charging at Ty and exchanging blows once again. Mara jumped on Aero's shoulders and launched himself in the air. He pulled back his fist and focused his green energy into it while Aero focused his dark energy into his scythe, making the blade grow in size. Ty noticed this and channeled his power into his swords, which began to glow pure white.</p><p>The two shot themselves towards Ty and performed a coordinated attack. <strong>"It's Over!"</strong> The priest brought up his swords to intercept both attacks. There was a huge collision and then an explosion of smoke that covered the fighters. When it all cleared Ty looked perfectly fine, both Aero and Mara were breathing hard from the powerful clash. Ty looked at the two of them for a few moments, then smiled and nodded. "Good work you two. You pass the test."</p><p>Both boys nodded in confirmation and put away their weapons. They then went back to their original positions. The priest turned his attention to Kuma and Penelope and gestured for them to step forward. "The next team to fight will be you two girls. Let us begin." The girls nodded and drew their weapons. Kuma ran at Ty and clashed with his sword a few times, the priest pushed her back and intercepted a knife strike from Penelope. He distanced himself from the girl and slashed at her but it was blocked by Kuma. She forced him back and positioned herself near Penelope.</p><p>The two girls glanced at eachother and exchanged smiles. They began to move at superhuman speeds, leaving behind afterimages that began to close in on the priest. Ty swung his left sword and unleashed a shockwave that destroyed half of the afterimages, the others surrounded him in a circle. Then suddenly all of the afterimages charged at the priest who had to use both blades in order to hold back the relentless attacks being thrown at him. The real Kuma suddenly appeared in the man's blind spot and stabbed at him with her katana. Ty sensed the attack coming and blocked it with his right sword, then used his left to block a knife strike from Penelope. Both of the priest's swords glowed with a faint white light and he forced both girls back. Penelope slammed her hand into the ground and fired icicles at the priest who twirled his blades to break through the attack.</p><p>All three were breathing heavily. The girls held their weapons at the ready but Ty motioned for them to end the match. "That is enough ladies. You both pass the test as well. You both had me at a corner there for a while. I'm afraid of what would've happened if we didn't stop now. I am an elder you know?"</p><p>"You don't fight like one." Penelope joked while she and Kuma put away their blades. The two girls returned to their original positions. The priest smiled and moved on to the final group, me and Abelia.</p><p>"Alright, you two are the last. I hope you both can work together without any issues. Remember it's important that you do."</p><p>The two of us slowly approached the man and drew our weapons. Ty got into a battle stance and indicated that he was ready. I looked at Abelia nervously before dashing forward at the priest. I locked swords with him while summoning a gun in my free hand. The priest saw this and quickly moved away as I began to fire. He used his swords to cut away and deflect every last shot, then swung at me. I braced myself for the attack but suddenly Abelia appeared in front of me and intercepted it. The girl forced Ty back and stood protectively in front of me in a protective manner.</p><p>"A-Abelia?"</p><p>The redhead looked at me in annoyance. "Can't you fight without having me save you? What happened to the person who gave me that fun battle before?"</p><p>I grit my teeth in anger at her statement. "I didn't need you to save me! If your gonna be cold then stay out of my way!"</p><p>"With pleasure."</p><p>Ty glared at us disapprovingly. "That isn't acceptable! You two must learn how to cooperate if you want to survive this competition. It isn't just your partners that need to learn teamwork, as fellow Soul Masters you must work as a pair equally."</p><p>He suddenly charged at the two of us and clashed swords with Abelia. She jumped back and jabbed at the old man with her rapier but he dodged at superhuman speeds. I tried to support her by firing bullets at him but the priest held both off with ease. Abelia pointed her rapier to the ground and ran her hand along the blade, making the blade glow blue. She then crouched low and speared straight for Ty.</p><p>
  <strong>"Royal Empress Style; Imperial Fencing!"</strong>
</p><p>She stabbed at the priest and almost ran him through. Ty flash stepped away from the attack as a sharp blue light fired from the tip and slammed through a tree. I summoned a fireball in my hand and tossed it at Ty, the priest braced himself and took my spell head on. He then charged through the smoke and tried to slash me but I quickly jumped away. The priest tried to continue the attack on me with another slash but had to dodge a stab from Abelia that nearly hit him. She lunged forward with another stab but had to change direction suddenly as my fireball flew past and almost hit her and the priest.</p><p>Abelia glared at me accusingly. "Watch what you're doing! You could have hit me!"</p><p>"I'm sorry. I thought you needed help, and you were in the way. I just wanted to cover you."</p><p>Abelia snorted distastefully. "Then try doing that without burning me okay?!" She launched herself at the priest and exchanged blows with him.</p><p>I puffed my cheeks in anger and began to cast a spell. Abelia became covered in a magical green glow as I focused power into her, granting the girl incredible strength that flowed throughout her body. The redhead ran her hand along her rapier and the once blue glow had brightened greatly. She smiled and dashed at Ty while swinging her blade, he tried to block it but was sent flying back from the surprising magical force. He caught himself and stood at the ready but found Abelia nowhere in sight. The priest flipped his sword and positioned it behind himself, narrowly avoiding being skewered by the girl's rapier. They both jumped away from each other and regained their combat stances.</p><p>Ty took a deep breath and sheathed both his blades. "That was...A start I suppose. You two did fine. I can see you both have great potential but it seems that you are not quite as compatible as I want you to be at the moment. I'm afraid you two fail the teamwork test for now."</p><p>We put away both of our weapons too and looked down sadly. Then Abelia's face suddenly contorted in anger and she turned accusingly to me. "Look what you've done! If you hadn't gotten in my way so many times we would have passed!"</p><p>I clenched my fists in anger and returned Abelia's glare. "We would have passed?! You mean you would have! You're so damn focused on trying to win that you didn't focus at all on teamwork! Don't go trying to play it all on me!"</p><p>"You're the most annoying person I ever had to work with! I'd be better with just Penelope at my side!" She yelled.</p><p>"And you're the most pigheaded person I ever had to team up with! I'm much better with someone I know than someone I don't. Like Aero!"</p><p>The boy heard my comment and sweatdropped. "You don't really know me either princess."</p><p>Ty coughed to get everyone's attention. "Ahem! Come now you two that's enough fighting eachother. I had hoped all of you would pass the test with flying colors but I suppose you'll have no choice but to learn in the field instead. Everyone take a half hour break before we continue onward." Our group all nodded in agreement and took a brief rest to regain our strength.</p><p>After a half hour went by our party once again resumed our journey. We walked in complete silence, allowing me to lose myself in thought. I had some concerns about the battles ahead of us and how everyone would fair in them. Every single person around me were those who I considered friends and I didn't want to see any of them get defeated. I knew that I would have to do everything in my power to make sure the others survived but at the same time I felt like I was the weakest link of our group. I had barely done anything during the last fight and several of my friends got injured because of it. I felt a strange sense of guilt about that, mentally kicking myself for not being able to do better. I was so lost in my own mind that I didn't notice Abelia walk up beside me and tap my shoulder timidly. I turned to the redhead and was surprised to see that her face was blushing red in embarrassment.</p><p>I decided to ask her about it. "Abelia? What's the matter? You look like you've got something you wanna say."</p><p>The girl looked away nervously and stuttered on her words. "W-what? N-no it's n-nothing." Her face got even more red. "A-actually I do h-have something to say. I-I'm...Sorry for how I acted before."</p><p>She only spoke in a whisper so I couldn't really hear her. I moved closer to Abelia and leaned toward her. "Come again? I couldn't hear you because you were whispering. Can you repeat that?"</p><p>"I said I'm sorry for how I acted."</p><p>"Still whispering. Say that one more time for me."</p><p>Abelia gritted her teeth and shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. "<strong>I Said I'm Sorry For The Way I Acted Okay!"</strong> Everyone was startled by this and gave the redhead a blank look. Seeing us do this Abelia blushed and stared at her feet. "Look what you made me do. But yes I apologize for my earlier behavior. I was angry and tried to find someone to blame for my mistake and you being my teammate became the most logical choice. Please forgive me." She said, bowing low.</p><p>All were surprised at what we were seeing, especially Penelope. She walked over to me and gave me an awestruck look. "It is very rare for anyone to make Lady Abelia apologize for a mistake. It seems you truly are someone worthy of her respect, a good rival to my Master no doubt."</p><p>I blushed. "N-no I'm nothing special really. I only wanted to be Abelia's friend." Then I turned to the redhead. "Alright, I accept your apology. So please stop bowing, that's way to formal for someone like me to deserve." I offered my hand to Abelia and the girl took it without hesitation, then we shook hands and rekindled our friendship.</p><p>Mara put his hands behind his head and smiled. "That was pretty heartwarming to watch. I'm almost sorry I have to be that guy but shouldn't we keep going?"</p><p>"Yeah, you're right." I nodded.</p><p>We continued on to our objective. Eventually I sensed a large spiral of power in the same direction that we were heading. Our group stopped and took a minute to analyze this development.</p><p>"What's with that huge power? It's intense!" Mara asked, his eyes wide.</p><p>Aero shrugged. "I don't know. I think it's the portal to the next realm, that's the only explanation I know for why the energy would feel like it is spiraling around itself. I didn't expect it to be so wild though."</p><p>Ty looked at him curiously. "So you have some knowledge of Portals? Interesting. All of the portals in this world works like that one. You'll encounter many more like it during your travels most likely. The fact that it is so much stronger than the others is because of the number of people who have already entered through it. We must hurry if we are to catch up to them."</p><p>"What about the other competitors? Aren't they still going to be a problem?" I asked nervously.</p><p>"Please don't worry miss. As long as we keep our heads and think up strategies on the fly I'm positive that we can make it to the end. If we encounter any dangerous resistance I urge you all to fight with all that you have alright?" We nodded and followed the path to the portal ahead.</p><p>As we passed through deeper into the woods there was the sound of a tree branch snapping. Kuma's ears caught the sound and she stopped to study her surroundings. She slowly put a hand on her katana's hilt, the motion drew my attention as she gestured for us to stop. "What is it Kuma?"</p><p>"I believe that someone might be following us. It was faint but I definitely heard the sound of a branch breaking nearby. It could be just a small animal or monster but even still my instincts are rarely wrong. Everyone please be careful."</p><p>We walked in complete silence, our bodies tense for any sign of sudden movement or attack. I then heard a faint whistling of air which slowly grew louder with each passing second. As I took another step Aero suddenly pushed my from behind to the ground and summoned his scythe to deflect an incoming projectile. I looked at him in amazement while regaining my feet. The others crowded around me and glared in the direction of the fired projectile. I reached down and picked up the weapon, which resembled a small silver dagger with some form of writing on the side.</p><p>"W-what the heck is? Who throws random daggers at people like that? It could've killed me!" Then I looked at Aero and nodded to him. "Thank's for the save. I owe you one."</p><p>"Yeah you do. But right now it looks like we have a fight on our hands! Look!" He pointed into the trees where a mysterious pair was sitting on a branch above. The pair consisted of two males, one young and the other elderly.</p><p>The young man on the left seemed to be age 17 with forest green eyes, matted down blonde hair, and a slightly crooked nose. He was dressed in a black sweatshirt, black jeans, grey boots, and a gold belt with multiple daggers identical to the one that had been thrown. The boy leered down at us with eyes full of both amusement and cold malice within them. The old man next to him had one grey eye while the other was under an eyepatch. He was completely bald with a single scar running from forehead to chin. The man was dressed in the form of a feudal Japanese master, wearing a white yukata and wooden sandals. On his back was a long katana with a beautiful gold and black hilt and pommel. The man slowly unsheathed it and readied it on his shoulder.</p><p>The young man was the first to speak. "Well looks like you were right. They do have some seriously skilled people in their party. Maybe this will be fun after all."</p><p>The old man glanced over at his partner. "Do not get ahead of yourself Lloyd. Our only mission is to keep them here and busy for a while."</p><p>"Who are you?" Aero demanded, spinning his scythe with deadly skill.</p><p>The boy Lloyd smiled. "Just members of a very powerful group of people. We go after annoying competitors like yourselves and stop you guys from progressing any further. Our group is already far ahead of you already, they might be through the portal already even. I don't know, all I was told is to hold you here and that's what we plan to do."</p><p>"Come. Which of you will step forward to challenge us?" The old man asked, pointing his katana at all of us.</p><p>Aero shook his head in annoyance. "We really don't have time for this crap. I'll take care of-" Kuma suddenly appeared in front of him and cut him off with a hand motion. "W-what the hell are you doing."</p><p>"I apologize for this my friend but I believe you should leave this battle to Mara and myself." She was addressing him but at the same time leered at the old man who glared right back.</p><p>Mara walked up to her with a worried expression. "Kuma? What brought this on? This is the first time I've ever seen you so serious before."</p><p>"I can't really explain it myself but every instinct in me is saying that I should fight that man." She pointed at the old man to show her point. "It's a strange feeling. It's like my pride as a warrior is on the line here! I'm sorry to bring you into it but I want the fight to be fair. So I must ask, will you fight with me?"</p><p>Mara stared at Kuma in awe for a moment. Then the boy clenched his fist and smiled. "Do you even have to ask? I never thought you'd be the one on the front lines in a fight. I knew choosing you as a partner was an awesome idea. Let's do this."</p><p>The two of them approached the pair and leered at them determinedly. Lloyd grinned and drew one of his daggers, then the two jumped down to meet their opponents.</p><p>"So you two are gonna be our opponents huh? Some scruffy little kid and his hot ninja partner? For some reason I've got a good feeling about this. Show me what you got!"</p><p>The old man held his hand out to stop his partner from attacking then turned his full attention on Kuma. "Hold on a moment Lloyd. It is inappropriate for two fighters to do battle without introductions first. Listen girl, my name is Yan Tsuchikage, former legendary swordsman of the Shang Jin temple and Priest of the Deity Of Wisdom Kung Len. I have fought in millions of battles in my lifetime and have toppled many Empires, only to have fallen at the blade of traitors. Tell me, what is your name and title?"</p><p>Kuma pointed her katana at the man and spoke. "I must first admit those are very impressive titles indeed. As for my name I am you may call me Kuma and I have only two titles. The first is that I am the only female swordswoman of a clan of demonslayers. I've killed many creatures during my lifetime, and I went to the grave proudly just as I had been raised to do. My second title...I'm afraid I can't answer that yet. Do not worry though, you will soon learn what that title after I defeat you."</p><p>Lloyd sighed impatiently and introduced himself. "I'm Lloyd Donald. I like to fight strong people, blah, blah, blah. Now it's your turn kid, hurry up!"</p><p>Mara cracked a grin. "Name's Mara, the soon to be Greatest Ninja in the entire world. Someone like you isn't worth knowing any more of my titles then that." He whispered to himself. "Of course that's the only title I have but I'm not gonna let him know that." As if that wasn't already obvious Mara.</p><p>The boy returned Mara's grin with his own. "Is that right? I'm not worthy huh? We'll see about that then won't we brat?!" He charged at Mara and the two began their battle.</p><p>Kuma glanced over her shoulder at the rest of. "Please leave these two to us. You all must continue onward."</p><p>"What about you?" I asked.</p><p>"Do not worry. We shall be right behind you in as soon as possible. And you also don't have to worry about us being defeated, I would never lose to the likes of these villains."</p><p>I locked eyes with the ninja girl for a few seconds before deciding to trust her and ushering our group onward. Before I followed them I turned to Kuma with a serious expression while shouted at her. "I'm holding you to that promise! Come back to us safely...Both of you!" Then I left.</p><p>Kuma smiled then turned to her opponent, entering a fighting stance. "Now that everything is said and done I suppose it is time for us to do battle. Don't hold anything back on my account...Let's go all out from the very start!" She lunged at her enemy and brought her blade down. The old man countered with his own sword and the two swordsman commenced their battle.</p><p>
  <strong>Meanwhile;</strong>
</p><p>Our group sprinted down the path in order to get closer to the next world portal. As we ran my thoughts strayed back to Mara and Kuma, hoping that they would succeed against their opponents. Then I thought about what that Lloyd person said about there being more opponents ahead awaiting us. I pondered on how strong these people would be but decided to think on it when the time came and continued running with behind my friends.</p><p>Suddenly I sensed a malicious presence directly ahead of us. I yelled for the others to stop just in time as a large fireball slammed into the ground and erupted in before us. Out of the flames walked two figures, both of them female. The one on the left was a tall girl with glowing orange eyes, long fiery red hair, and a Japanese sailor uniform. Her expression was unreadable but I could see the tiniest glimpse of insane amusement within her eyes. The girl on the right was far shorter than her partner, with light blue eyes, dark blue hair, and a blue and black dress. She seemed more bubbly than her companion, for she was smiling and had a defenseless look to her. Strapped to her arm was a crossbow and on her dress's belt was a small sack full of bolts.</p><p>The girl calmly reached for one of her bolts and loaded it to her crossbow, then addressed her friend. "Looks like you missed by a few inches Ayu. I guess it doesn't matter really though, after all we only need to delay them."</p><p>The girl Ayu lowered her hand, which was covered in fire, and turned toward the girl. "You're right. We have to hold them off a bit longer for the boss." She then turned to the group. "Which one of you wants to take us on?"</p><p>I was about to respond but Abelia pushed me out of the way and stood up to her. "I will."</p><p>"Abelia?"</p><p>The redhead glanced back at me before focusing back on the two girls. "My partner and I will accept your challenge. Isn't that right Penelope?"</p><p>The pinkhaired girl stood beside her partner and nodded in agreement. "Of course! With the two of us working together our victory is assured!"</p><p>Ayu smirked. "That right? Let's see just how far that talk gets you. You'll wish you were dead after I'm done with you."</p><p>Penelope blinked in confusion. "Technically I am dead and so are you. We are Half-lives after all."</p><p>"*Sigh* I'm going to enjoy this more than I thought I would." She held her flaming hand out to Penelope and got into a fighting stance with her other hand close to her back.</p><p>Abelia and Penelope drew their weapons and assumed battle stances as well. Abelia gestured for us to eave. "Leave us. We shall handle this ourselves."</p><p>"Not you too." I exclaimed with a shake of the head.</p><p>"Listen to me. I'm not going to be defeated before I can fight you again. We both have promises that we must keep so I expect you not to lose either."</p><p>We locked eyes with one another and I could see the fire behind Abelia's. She didn't say anything but I understood the unspoken implication under her stare. The girl genuinely wanted me to trust her with this battle. Her pride wouldn't allow for any interference which I couldn't break unless I wanted her to hate me forever. I needed to have faith that the two would manage to pull through. So reluctantly I nodded and along with Aero and Ty attempted to run ahead. The girl with the crossbow tried to shoot us but Abelia was faster. She appeared in front of the girl and smacked the bow aside with her rapier. We successfully ran pass, leaving the two girls to handle their opponents on their own.</p><p>The crossbow girl flashed a cute smile at the redhead. "So you wanna fight me eh? Well I guess I can entertain you for a while. My name's Nai Suzuka. How about you."</p><p>"My name is Abelia Valentine, Heir to the Valentine Family and future Royal Empress. That girl over there is my partner Penelope Luta." She gestured to Penelope and got into a fencing stance. However as she looked at her opponent Abelia saw something she wasn't expecting.</p><p>The girl Nai's expression darkened suddenly. The bubbly attitude had completely vanished and Abelia could sense a large amount of malice being directed on her. Nai slowly approached the redhead and notched a bolt to her crossbow, then she spoke in a dangerously low voice. "What did you say? Are you telling me you're from the Valentine Family?"</p><p>Abelia took a small step back cautiously before answering. "Yes I am. Why do you ask?"</p><p>Nai gritted her teeth angrily and fired a bolt at Abelia, who angled her body to avoid it. Then suddenly the bolt exploded behind the redhead, knocking her off balance. She looked behind her to see the damage caused from the explosive bolt then back at Nai who calmly loaded another bolt and pointed at her.</p><p>"You come from that family of superior idiots? The very same who treat poor street children like me as if we were lowborn scum? I never would've thought I'd be fighting a member of that vile group. Now...I can have my revenge!"</p><p>The two charged eachother at the same time as their partners did. Weapon clashed with weapon and the fierce battle between the two pairs of girls began.</p><p>
  <strong>Back To Our Group</strong>
</p><p>Finally the portal was within our sights. In front of us was a huge purple circular mass ringed with black rock wot form an arch. The magic that the portal generated seemed to pull at those around it like a gravitational field. I looked down and noticed that me, Aero, and Ty were being half dragged and half pulled toward the swirling mass.</p><p>"So this is the portal huh?" I asked. "Almost looks beautiful if not for the intimidating ominous power pooling off it."</p><p>Ty nodded. "Indeed. All portals look similar to this one in terms of power, size, and shape. No one knows exactly who created this things or what was able to produce as much magical energy to physically teleport people to other realms."</p><p>"My father thought they were created from an ancient race that existed long before all the changes to the Underworld were made by the original ruler Lucifer. It's really easy to use since father found a way to activate them. It will take you wherever he wants us to go. I'm pretty sure this will take us right to the Realm Of War. All we have to do is walk right through it." Aero explained.</p><p>I smiled. "It's that simple huh? What are we waiting for then let's go!"</p><p>"I don't think so!"</p><p>A tornado of wind suddenly appeared in front of us and to take a humanoid shape. A tall young man walked out of it with confidence. He had long brown hair under a floppy cap and mucky green eyes. He was dressed in a torn green jacket and blue shorts with grey sneakers. In the young man's left hand was a crook and in the other was a pistol, each brimmed with magical energy that almost rivaled the power coming from the Portal.</p><p>The man tilted his head and smiled crookedly. "I'm sorry to inform you all but you won't be going any further. To tell you the truth actually I'm surprised you were make it this far. I suppose that means my comrades were too preoccupied with your companions then."</p><p>"You're the leader of that party that's trying to stop us from moving forward aren't you?" I asked.</p><p>"Of course! I couldn't allow you to advance all at once. We've been watching your progress for a while and have deemed you a serious threat to our climb. You could become a serious problem later on down the line in the Competition and we can't have that. So unfortunately your road ends here."</p><p>Ty stepped up and drew his swords. "If you intend to stop my charges from advancing any further then I'm afraid I will have to intervene. I will be the one to face you personally."</p><p>The man grinned. "A priest huh? Interesting. I've heard a lot things about your organization but I never expected to meet one of you here. This should be more exciting than I had originally expected." He twirled the crook and positioned his pistol in a battle stance.</p><p>Ty turned to the two of us. "I'll hold him here. The two of you must figure out a way to move pass him and through the portal. I will cover you as best as I can."</p><p>"Alright." We both agreed.</p><p>The man raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning? If you want to advance you'll have to get through me first. By the way, in case you're wondering, my name is Earl Mason. Please entertain me for awhile okay?"</p><p>Ty said nothing. Instead he got into a readied stance while Aero and I prepared ourselves to run. The priest suddenly vanished and appeared clashing with Earl. As soon as he did we took our chance and sprinted pass. Earl saw what we were doing and tried to shoot us but Ty slammed his elbow into his arm, forcing him to miss by an inch. Earl switched his focus back to the priest and began to clash with him at intense speeds. As Ty continued to distract him we finally reached the portal and stood before it. The gravitational field pulled far stronger than it did at a distance and I had to use all my weight to avoid getting sucked in automatically. I turned back to the priest's battle and watched for a few moments. Millions of thought and worries piled into my mind as I thought about Ty and my other friends as well as the sacrifices they were making for us to advance. The thought of being without them and losing them deeply made my heart ache. I didn't want to leave my dear friends behind to fend for themselves, but I knew that they would want the two of us to keep going. But even still...</p><p>I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I turned to Aero and was shocked to see him flash me a small smile. "Don't worry too much about them. Even though they're only humans their pretty strong. I have complete faith in them. You should too."</p><p>He was right. I shouldn't be doubting my friends now. I had been around them for some time, fought beside them, and formed unbreakable bonds with each them individually. I would have to hope and pray that they would claim victory. I'd have to pray also that we would see each other again soon and safely. At this point praying to me seemed like the only thing that I could do.</p><p>"Yeah, you're right." I smiled. "I guess we can leave it to them. Besides we have bigger things to worry about don't we?"</p><p>We both turned to the portal in a what felt like a fascinated trance. I reached out and held Aero's hand tightly, making the boy look down and blush a little at the contact. He glanced at my face and must have seen the intense determination etched into it. He also tightened his grip on my hand which made me grin before the two of us approached the portal one step at a time. Just as we were directly in front of the swirling mass we held our breath. I mentally counted to three, then let go of my held breath and together jumped with Aero through the portal. Our next destination was at hand at last.</p><p>Ty, who watched us leave out of the corner of his eye while fighting, smiled mysteriously. He took a couple of steps away from his opponent and adopted a new fighting stance with his blades. Both him and Earl crouched down ready to spring at one another and after a few minutes they did just that.</p><p>And so began the long team battle between the two parties. What will happen you may wonder? Well why don't you wait until next time to find out. Goodbye!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Clash Of Wills! Ninja vs Samurai</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; "After Abelia and Penelope joined our little group we encountered a very dangerous monster that was sent to capture me and steal my cloak. Mara challenged it to a fight but the monster proved to be more resilient than we thought. We all wasted a lot of energy and as it was about to finish us off the old Priest that we saved before named Ty saved us. He took care of it with ease and agreed to temporarily join our party for now. Then he decided to teach us on a method of getting stronger, a special teamwork exercise that would help us better trust one another. The process was called Tethering and everyone succeeded in using it except me and Abelia. We got into a little spat after that but we quickly made up. As we were approaching the portal we were ambushed by another group of Soul Masters trying to cut down the competition. Each of our friends decided to take them on in pairs while Aero and I entered the next realm. Now we are all separate in a very dangerous situation, I hope that they succeed. Wish them luck."</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 12-Clash Of Wills! Ninja vs Samurai</p><hr/><p>
  <span>
    <strong>Mara;</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>Mara's battle with Lloyd wasn't going so well. The two of them clashed at high speed, Mara's ninjato clashing with his daggers. He hated to admit it but he was strong, totally on the level it seemed. As they continued to battle Mara tried to think of a way that he could end this stalemate. He might be able to match the boy in terms of in strength but he doubt someone like him could keep up with the Great Mara's speed at the maximum. Mara dodged one of his stabs and seemingly vanished before his eyes, then pivoted behind Lloyd and slashed at his exposed back. Somehow though his opponent sensed the attack and deflected the strike with the hilt of his dagger. He slashed at Mara with his other dagger but he parried it and quickly backed away.</p><p>Lloyd studied him and grinned. "I'm pretty surprised! You're pretty good pal. If I had been any slower I would be seriously injured right now. Guess that's what to be expected from you ninjas right?"</p><p>Who did this guy think he is calling Mara pretty good. He gritted his teeth and pointed at him. "What do you mean pretty good? I'm exceptionally good. No I'm great actually. I am the greatest ninja ever, I have no equals in anything I do! I will not lose to a weakling like you."</p><p>"You're very arrogant for someone who's supposed to be a great ninja." Lloyd said, adopting a fighting stance. "Not that I've got a problem with all that. I've been called that many times myself."</p><p>He launched himself straight at Mara. The boy readied his blade just in time as Lloyd slammed into him. The two of them once again clashed at great speeds, both of them trying to gain some kind of advantage. Lloyd deflected Mara's jab and kicked him back. His dagger began to glow as he attacked again and Mara knew to dodge instead of trying to block this time. As he predicted a beam of green light blasted past him and impaled a tree.</p><p>"You dodged that huh?" Lloyd noticed, smiling. "Not many people know when to dodge my jab and when to guard against it. You definitely won't go down easy."</p><p>He came at him again with his glowing dagger and the ninja boy had no choice but to hold him off. He sidestepped another one of his energy beams and tried to attack him with his Soul Wave technique. Lloyd seemed to sense this and dodged the boy's punch. Then he went at him again with a kick to the chest which made the ninja stumble. They stood apart from each other, glaring at the other determinedly. Mara could see a wild gleam in Lloyd's eyes that resembled that of a wild beast. Likewise he felt that Lloyd saw the same in his. This battle was obviously a fight between beasts, if anyone of the two made a mistake here than they'd be devoured by the other.</p><p>
  <span>
    <strong>Kuma;</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>Kuma had began engaging Yan in combat. He was far more skilled than she had thought he would be. The two of them exchanged blows at intense speeds. She slashed, stabbed, and parried at him but Yan easily countered every single one of her techniques. Unconsciously Kuma began hearing the voice of her late sword instructor throwing out suggestions but nothing seemed to work. This man was certainly a capable fighter, that much was plain obvious.</p><p>Suddenly Yan appeared in front of her and began stabbing at the girl's body with astonishing speed. She matched his speed and began dodging every blow, a single mistake would have most likely ended her life in an instant. Kuma sidestepped the next stab and slashed downward at the swordsman's arm but somehow he deflected it and came at her with a overhead slash. She flashed stepped out of the way just in time, however she felt something warm flow down her neck which the girl already knew was blood.</p><p>The man held his katana in two hands and smiled at her. "Impressive. I should have severed your head from your shoulders 15 times now and yet you avoided them all. Even my best technique was handled by you with ease. I suppose a single strike won't end it with you huh?"</p><p>Kuma nodded. "Indeed. You certainly are a strong fighter. I haven't felt this thrilling sensation from in along time. My heart is beating very quickly and it was only our first exchange."</p><p>"I see. You definitely have a warrior's instinct in you. You feel that amazing thrill from battles too right? There is nothing more greater in this world than fights to the death, it was my very reason for being a soldier in the first place." He spouted out to her, an insane expression on his face. He came at her again and they engaged in an intense sword struggle.</p><p>Between blows they continued talking. "Are you saying that is your reason to fight?" She stabbed at him but the swordsman guarded the attack. "Just to satisfy an addiction to battles to the death?"</p><p>He pushed Kuma and struck back with his own stab. "Of course! Isn't that why you duel opponents?"</p><p>The two exchanged a few more blows. Kuma kicked out at him but he blocked it and grabbed her foot in an iron grip. She struggled to get out but couldn't, instead she turned her body and glared at Yan. "Of course I don't. Battles are meant to be fair and fun. Two warriors dueling with their ideals on the line. No one should fight just to kill!" She spun and kicked Yan away with her other leg.</p><p>Kuma then dashed at Yan again and assaulted him with slashes. The swordsman intercepted each move and clashed swords with her again. "I see. I had thought because of how skilled you are you would agree with my philosophy on fighting. It seems that you don't understand. In my soldier days I had to fight millions of foes, everyday was a battle to the death for me. To protect the empire I had sworn to serve I ended the lives of many, both guilty and innocent. I tried to retire and end my cycle of conflict but I became so addicted that I just couldn't stay away. I loved fighting strong opponents like you and putting them to their deaths. For me fights to the death decide everything, either who is strong or who is weak."</p><p>"So you are an assassin then?"</p><p>The swordsman smiled. "I honestly do not know. I have been called a warrior, soldier, and an executioner. I never really heard anyone ever call me an assassin before. Death is the way I was taught and I like to consider myself an artist at it."</p><p>"Does you partner have any knowledge of this?" Asked Kuma.</p><p>"Of course not. Lloyd does not care for my past life so I did not bother telling him. He may be my Master however our relationship isn't anything really emotional. Even if I died to your blade I doubt he would shed a single tear in my absence, neither would I honestly. As a samurai I will protect him but I do not have to befriend him."</p><p>"I see now. I think I finally understand what kind of person you are." Kuma said as her expression suddenly darkened. Her eyes grew cold and her face turned emotionless. "You used to be a great warrior in your time. You may have even been a hero once before. However you have fallen from that path along time ago."</p><p>Yan gasped. "What?"</p><p>"You followed the same code of honor as I have. You fought fair, killed only to protect the ones you cared about, and even died a warrior's death. I don't know when but you have strayed from that code. You have became the very thing that I never wanted to be, an assassin who kills to satisfy bloody desires. That must have been the reason why I felt so drawn to you. I was meant to face off against you, the very thing that I am afraid of becoming. To think that your love of death has followed you even to the grave...I have no choice but to end you before you cause anymore suffering."</p><p>She vanished suddenly. Yan eyes widened as she appeared before him and butted her katana hilt into his stomach, sending him flying back. Yan quickly caught himself and looked up but found that she had disappeared again. Kuma appeared behind him this time and swiped her sword down his back, drawing a long bloody scar down it. Yan gritted his teeth and quickly moved away from her. He watched her slowly raise the blade to her shoulder and glare at him with murderous intent.</p><p><em>"What's happening?! How has she suddenly get so fast?! Was she holding back this whole time? And what is with her eyes? She claims to not like deadly battles but her eyes say otherwise. Is this the true bloodthirsty power of a ninja?"</em> The swordsman wondered.</p><p>Kuma attacked him again with swift strikes in which Yan had to block and parry. He deflected her thrust and came at her with one of his own. Kuma used her katana to redirect his aim and the thrust passes by her smoothly. The girl quickly stepped into his guard and unleashed a brutal sword combo, doing direct damage to Yan's torso. The swordsman distanced himself from Kuma and put a hand to his chest to stop the worse of the injuries. Taking advantage of this Kuma began to onslaught him with blow after blow. Quickly Yan was forced onto the defensive at the incredible skill that this young girl was showing off.</p><p>Eventually he saw an opening in Kuma's stance and went for it, successfully breaking her rhythm and forcing her to take a defensive stance. The swordsman smirked at the sudden advantage and began launching strikes of his own at the girl. Kuma did her best to deflect every attack and then suddenly flashstepped behind Yan. She swung her katana at his neck but he dodged and locked weapons with her.</p><p>"You surprised me girl. I didn't expect for you to be so adept. Your speed was so impressive that had I been a lesser swordsman I'd likely be dead. Unfortunately I broke through your sword rhythm and have studied your technique thoroughly. You will not get a lucky strike on me this time around."</p><p>The ninja girl pushed against her enemy and gritted her teeth. "We shall see about that!"</p><p>They pushed away from each other and continued their clash.</p><p>
  <span>
    <strong>Mara;</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>Back to Mara's battle he hadn't made any progress in shattering Lloyd's defense and assault pattern. The ninja was panting in exhaustion as his foe stood across from him, a confident smirk on his face. He calmly drew his left dagger back again and released another thin energy attack at Mara. The boy evaded it and appeared in a crouch in front of Lloyd. He kicked up at him but his foe leaned back to avoid and smacked the hilt of his daggers into Mara's chest. He stumbled and retaliated with a strike of his own but Lloyd blocked him. Mara grew angry at this and snapped at him.</p><p>"What the hell! Why can't I breakthrough your stupid defenses?!"</p><p>Lloyd chuckled. "Do you actually think I'm gonna let you hit me? I've trained my ass off to create a entirely new stance of my own that no man can defeat. By reading my opponents moves and stopping them, as well as attacking with small discharges of my mana, I have developed a flawless method of battling made up of defense and counterattack. It is a style well deserving of Lloyd Donald!"</p><p>"Your own style?" Suddenly Mara had an idea. "So you're using something made up huh? Well then, let me show you how a real man makes his styles!"</p><p>Mara crouched low and began to slow his breathing. His heart beat in slow rhythms and his body was remarkably stiff. Lloyd noticed this and carefully analyzed Mara. The ninja gripped his ninjato in a reverse handed stance and with his other hand he drew a kunai. He held both weapons out in front of him and made a quick handsign, then glared up at his foe with cold seriousness.</p><p>"<strong>Assassin's First Stance; Striking Shadow Crane."</strong></p><p>With that Mara vanished like a ghost and mysteriously appeared back to back with Lloyd. The boy, terrified, lashed out at him but hit nothing but air. Mara appeared again a few inches from him, then another Mara appeared close by, and another. Very soon there were ten clones of the ninja completely surrounding his foe. Panicked Lloyd started firing off energy into the clones and destroying them one by one. When there were none left he scanned the area for Mara but couldn't find him. Suddenly he felt a intense pressure above him and looked up to see the ninja bearing down on him with his energy encased fist pulled back. The boy crashed into him and Lloyd was forced into the ground. Mara backflipped away from him and suddenly vanished. As his foe regained his feet the ninja wrapped his arm around his neck, swept his feet out from under him, and tossed the guy behind him. Lloyd recovered midair and sized up Mara.</p><p><em>"This kid...Did he just make up a style all in only a few seconds? It took me months to perfect my own technique. He is definitely a remarkable fighter."</em> The young man looked up Mara and laughed. "Hahahaha! This is so awesome! To think I thought everyone in this stupid competition would be a complete pushover! Guys like you really know how to make my day! I get to finally take you on with everything I've got!"</p><p>"Oh? You're using your real power?"</p><p>Lloyd clenched his fists tightly and tensed his arm muscles. The air around him began to radiate magical power and a shroud of blue magic surrounded his body. The youth's power began to skyrocket in seconds, so much that it almost completely dwarfed Mara's. The ninja got into a stance and readied himself for his opponent's next attack. Lloyd lifted his hand toward him and a stream of blue fire appeared within it. The youth launched the attack at Mara who dodged and flipped over it effortlessly. Mara charged at him, dodging more fire streams until he could get close to the youth. Mara threw a punch at Lloyd's chin but the youth angled his head to evade and grabbed the ninja boy around his neck. He lifted him off his feet and engulfed the two of them in blue flames, doing no damage to him but massive damage to Mara. Finally he was thrown back and slammed into a tree, struggling for consciousness.</p><p>Lloyd looked down at his downed enemy and began to approach him, cracking his knuckles the whole time. He stopped a few inches from Mara and flashed a wolfish grin at him. "Now then...What say we finish this already okay?"</p><p>
  <span>
    <strong>Kuma;</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>Kuma and Yan continued to fight with a new intensity. The ninja girl dodged an attack aimed for her torso and slashed down on the swordsman's head. Yan deflected her strike and sent her flying back. Then he quickly followed after her grabbed the girl around the neck before violently tossing her toward a tree. The girl angled her body so that her feet were facing the tree and used her leg muscles to both stop herself and spring back toward Yan. He blocked her next attack and the two clashed again.</p><p>The swordsman quickly pulled back from her before she could strike again to catch his breathe. As he focused on her he was surprised on the aura of bloodlust radiating off of the girl. It was as if this girl wasn't human at all.</p><p>"I cannot believe how powerful you are woman. When we first began your sword had no killing intent behind it what so ever. Now your attacks are filled with bloodlust. How is it that you can mask you intentions so easily?"</p><p>Kuma continued to glare at him with a murderous expression. "I do not really know actually. I suppose it might have something to do with how I had been trained. My older brother was someone who I would consider a teacher to me and he had the same ability. Whenever we spared it seemed like he had no emotion in his swings, yet when he fought a real enemy he'd usually fight to kill. I was also confused on how this was possible. I have always wanted to be just like him, it appears I'm close."</p><p>Yan studied the ninja girl's form. "Your fighting style and stance...I have never seen anything like it before. It seems quite effective even though you are so young. What is it's name?"</p><p>"I don't know if I'd call myself young, after all the dead never age. Who knows how old I am in the years of the living? I'd probably be an old woman or something. Anyway back to your question, my style is very ancient. It has been invented by an unknown master who taught it to all of my family. I do not believe it has a name...But I'd suppose we call it <strong>Sho Rekkai</strong>."</p><p>"<strong>Sho Rekkai</strong>?"</p><p>Kuma nodded. "It stands for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Blade Of Wind</strong>. My family had always been sired by the spirits of war and honor. When we were taught <strong>Sho Rekkai </strong>we felt as if it were a sign from them, a fierce wind that contained the pure wrath of war and destruction. I am the next heir to this style though I'm sure after my death they gave that title to my elder brother. Being here for so long allowed me to master and further enhance my knowledge of this art. And it will be the thing that kills you, Yan Tsuchikage!"</p><p>The swordsman looked at her with wide eyes. Then slowly a smile grew on his lips and he laughed like a madman. "Hahahahahahahaha! This is fine, just fine! What a worthy foe! You my dear lady have my complete respect, which I don't give to anyone! I haven't felt this way in ages! This sweet dark feeling running through me...The feeling that engulfs you when you know that you could die! It is so refreshing! All of it! Thank you for finally fulfilling an old man's wish! If I were to die today I would definitely have not a single regret at all! Come, let us have some more fun!"</p><p>Yan flipped his katana in a reverse grip and lunged at Kuma, aiming for her throat. The girl vanished and reappeared behind him while slashing at his exposed neck. He ducked and elbowed her in the stomach so hard that she went flying. Kuma caught herself in midair and landed gracefully. She sheathed her sword and got into a stance before redrawing her blade at blinding speed.</p><p>
  <strong>Sho Rekkai; Gale Wave!"</strong>
</p><p>Kuma unleashed a speedy white shockwave toward Yan who attempted to block the technique. It caught him and forced the man backwards, crashing him through several trees. He bared this pain however until finally the attack dissipated, breathing heavily at the power behind it.</p><p>"A shockwave of condensed wind eh? That was some terrifying force behind it. I really could have perished." The man held his katana to his side and it began to pulsate with purple energy. "You have stopped holding back it seems. Now I have to return the favor. This has been fun...But I think we should end it here. The others are waiting after all."</p><p>The energy began to swirl and enshroud the blade in a thick purple aura. Yan swung the weapon through the air and immediately three trees on the left toppled over with large cuts shown on their trunks. With just a wave of his sword he had cut down three trees like they were nothing. Kuma was highly impressed by the level of power erupting from the swordsman.</p><p>"This doesn't appear good."</p><p>
  <span>
    <strong>Mara;</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>The battle between Mara and Lloyd had just taken a drastic turn. The ninja was thrown against a tree by his opponents raw strength and slid down it with a pained groan. He was bleeding and several places and was close to passing out right there. Lloyd calmly approached him with hands in pockets, all his injuries from before having completely healed somehow. Mara pushed himself to his feet and got into a stance but Lloyd kicked him and pinned the boy to the tree with his foot. He grinned cockily at Mara and pushed him harder against the tree, making the boy cry out in pain.</p><p>"Do you understand yet? Me and my group are leagues above you. We joined this dumb competition because we all have different objectives to fulfill. Each of us having a wish to be granted for different reasons. However unlike you we are all far from friends. We all are in an temporary alliance for now but when the time comes we will gladly ditch each other. To us everyone in these Games are nothing but expendable pawns. We'll gladly use them to our advantage if it means getting a wish. That's we we decided that the best way that we obtain our wishes faster is by eliminating the small fry first. After that's done then we'll stop being all buddy buddy and and eliminate one another. Sounds like a cool strategy right?"</p><p>Mara coughed in pain before responding. "N-no that's not right. T-that's evil..."</p><p>Lloyd frowned and pinned him harder again. "You know I think I understand you a little bit know. You and your group don't see each other as expendable. You idiots actually enjoy that crap don't you? Well let me tell you something pal that friendship stuff only makes you weak as hell. I've gotten through life fine without friends, alone and fighting for no one but myself. I have gained this awesome power on my own with no help and no friends. My group would gladly betray each other to achieve our goals, we're selfish bastards that way. Friends will only disappoint you, only let you down. You get weak, soft, and pitiful. There is nothing you get from friendship!" He leaned close and spoke lower. "You know why you can't beat me? It's because you are fighting for other people and not yourself. You care more for their lives and not your own. As long as you continue to work for others instead of yourself you will be nothing but weak trash. That's what makes me Great, and you nothing."</p><p>Mara's face darkened. <em>"This guy is too far gone. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. That's not what makes you stronger, it only makes you cruel! My bonds with my friends have strengthened my heart not softened it. That's why I have to use that technique. It's dangerous but I care to much about them not myself. I'll show him what friendship is all about!"</em></p><p>Suddenly Mara's power began to rise drastically. Lloyd sensed this occurring and tried to push his foot deeper into the boy but Mara grabbed his foot and punched him flat on his back. As Lloyd watched the ninja exploded with green aura which surged through his body in the form of flames. His green hair rose with the wind and glowed a little brighter along with his clothes. His muscles tightened and turned raw as well as bubbled. Finally Mara's eyes glowed emerald green and an inner fire could be seen in them. He performed a few swift handsigns and held them out in the form of a triangle.</p><p>"<strong>Great Ninpo Technique; Senjutsu Level 2!"</strong></p><p>Lloyd stared at the ninja in awe, pupils dilated and trembling. What is this? Is this kid even human? Those were thought running though his head as he slowly stood to his feet and got into a fighting stance. "I don't know what happened to you but I'm not backing down!"</p><p>Mara glared at him. "You say that friendship gives you nothing? That it's pitiful and weak? That it is just a bunch of crap? Well you're wrong! Friends encourage you and stay by your side through any ordeal. They support you and lay their lives down for you! As a ninja I cherish friendship among all else! I follow all of the rules of friendship strictly and honestly! I'm gonna teach you 5 of them so listen up!" He vanished suddenly and uppercut Lloyd into the air. Then he jumped up high to follow him.</p><p>"<strong>Ninja Rule For Friendship #1; Always Be Supportive!</strong>" Mara yelled while punching his opponent in midair so hard that he flew even higher.</p><p>"<strong>Ninja Rule For Friendship #2; Never Abandon Your Friends!</strong>" The boy grabbed Lloyd's feet and threw him toward the ground while chasing him.</p><p>"<strong>Ninja Rule For Friendship #3; Always Stand By Your Friend's Side!</strong>" Mara did a handsign and several clones appeared. They began knocking Lloyd around between the like some sort of game, causing the young man more damage. The real Mara flipped and slammed his heel into Lloyd's face, sending him to the ground and gave chase.</p><p>"<strong>Ninja Rule For Friendship #4; A Friend Is A Person! They Shouldn't Be Exploited!</strong>" Mara performed several more handsigns then flung several ninja tools at Lloyd. On closer inspection the tools had paper bombs attached to them and were also a lit with fire. As soon as they collided with Lloyd the tools exploded and sent him spinning toward the ground. Mara appeared on the ground under Lloyd and pulled back his fist, charging it with green electricity.</p><p>"And finally! <strong>Ninja Rule For Friendship #5; Never, Ever Give Up On Your Friend!</strong>" When Lloyd came within distance Mara launched his fist into the young man's face, causing a explosion of green energy. When the dust and energy cleared Lloyd was face down with green electricity sparking off of his body. Mara sighed with relief before returning to his normal self and collapsing on his knees, gripping his chest in pain and chuckling weakly.</p><p>"D-do you get it now? Friendship can make you strong. I was able to use <strong>Senjutsu level 2</strong>, a form that I was taught that gave the user strength in exchange for shortening their lifespans, by trusting in my bonds of friendship with my five friends. I want to go back and see them again. So I can't lose to you today, I was given an order to win and I'll have to follow it. As a ninja I never go back on my word! That's what makes me <strong>Mara The Great!</strong>"</p><p>The boy stood up and stumbled to where he thought he sensed Kuma's location. Lloyd was left there, pondering Mara's words and reliving his childhood, remembering the days where he had one friend. The young man grinned at this. "Maybe that kid actually is up to something. If that's the power he gained from his friends than maybe...I should think about it too."</p><p>
  <span>
    <strong>Kuma;</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>Kuma and Yan clashed at high speed, creating afterimages that moved along with them. To others they would seem even but with his dark power Yan was quickly overwhelming her. He swung his purple katana at Kuma who tried to guard but was flung down on her backside. The swordsman jumped high in the air and stabbed down at her but Kuma rolled away and regained her feet. The ninja girl lunged at him with a lightening fast stab yet Yan swung his weapon again and sent her flying into a boulder. He walked over to the downed girl, who had a nasty cut on her head which bled profusely. She reached for her sword and used it to help her up. Yan saw this and smirked.</p><p>"It's amazing that you can still stand after all the damage you took. For someone who is supposed to be my elder you can take a beating. As a warrior I can respect that. I will give you an honorable death, weapon in hand and eyes full of passion."</p><p>Kuma gritted her teeth. <em>"It's no use. I can't use <strong>Sho Rekkai</strong>, that attack somehow sealed my magic power. This power he is generating is greater than anything I've met before. I...I've failed. Mara...Brother Madara...I'm sorry."</em></p><p>Yan appeared before her and pierced the girl through the stomach, pinning her to the rock behind them. Kuma coughed up blood and clutched at the katana in an attempt to weakly remove it. The purple aura around the weapon spread to her body and began to engulf her. Memories and images of various fallen warriors clouded her mind and ate at her sanity. The girl felt as if her soul was being drawn into blade itself. She closed her eyes as her memories started to disappear, and soon her life with them. But suddenly she began to hear a voice in all of the carnage. A voice that she was familiar with.</p><p>"(Kuma, don't give up!)"</p><p><em>"Who is that? The voice is familiar but...I just can't remember who it belongs to.</em>"</p><p>"(What about our promise? Do you remember that?)"</p><p>
  <em>"Promise? I don't remember any..."</em>
</p><p>But she did remember something. She saw all static and boy with green hair and eyes . He had a goofy smile on his face with his hand extended toward someone. Who was he? And who was he extended his hand to? These questions floated around her head as she struggled to remember. Eventually the static started to clear and clear until the boy's face could be seen completely. Realizing who it was Kuma's eyes widened.</p><p>"(Ninjas never go back on their word! Put your trust in me as I trust in you! Let's win this thing and become the <strong>Greatest </strong>together!)"</p><p>
  <em>"M-Mara?!"</em>
</p><p>In the real world Yan noticed a change in Kuma's energy. The pressure rising off her was overpowering and he was surprised that his dark power had been completely nullified. The girl's grip on his sword tightened suddenly and light green magical energy erupted off her body. Yan quickly tugged his sword away from her and jumped back as the green energy began to shroud his opponent, forming a green cocoon. After a few minutes the cocoon started to crack and the girl within was different than before.</p><p>Kuma's black hair had grown longer and spilled down her back instead of in the ponytail that it was once tied in. The girl's dark green eyes had become bright green. She now wore a green Japanese kimono that reached down to her knees with a black sash tied around her waist. Attached to her sash were two katana with black sheathes and golden hilts. Yan stared in shock at her sudden appearance and took a step back.</p><p>"Impossible! You evolved?! No one could overcome my dark power! How are you even still standing?!"</p><p>Kuma looked at herself and studied her clothing. "Interesting. My evolution involves changing my clothing? That is quite bizarre. My friend Aero didn't have this happen to him when he evolved. I suppose I will have to wonder about that later. Right now I have a battle to win."</p><p>Yan gritted his teeth. "What are you exactly?"</p><p>The ninja girl tilted her head. "I cannot say. Aero created his Death Eater name all on his own. What shall I call myself I wonder? I suppose I am...A Wind Dancer. Yes I do like the sound of that! Wind Dancer it is!"</p><p>"Wind Dancer?"</p><p>Kuma drew both katana and got into a ready stance. She launched herself at Yan and cut him so swiftly on his torso that he didn't register it until it was too late. In fact he didn't even feel any pain at all. The man touched the wound experimentally and was surprised at this.</p><p>"What is this? You cut me and yet I feel no pain?"</p><p>The girl inspected her swords. "Quite interesting indeed. My swords no longer hurt those that they cut. Well I do like them better this way since I do not enjoy harming others to begin with. Which also means that I can give you the painless death that you deserve."</p><p>Yan snarled at her. "A painless death? Surely you jest? I deserve nothing of the sort! You allow compassion to cloud your judgement! And right now it will only serve in your death!"</p><p>He came at Kuma again, swinging his sword at her neck. She sighed and vanished before appearing behind the swordsman. He turned to her and suddenly his sword arm fell to the ground with a thud. Yan looked at it but still felt no pain. He grabbed his katana with his other hand and lunged for her again but Kuma slashed upward and removed that limb as well. Yan stumbled back and glanced once at the sky, knowing his life was about to end. Kuma crossed her two swords to her chest and closed her eyes. She charged at him with her eyes still closed until she was right in front of him.</p><p>"<strong>Sho Rekkai; Razor's Wind!</strong>"</p><p>Kuma opened her eyes and with blinding speed unleashed an onslaught of slashes on the defenseless Yan. Then as he fell back Kuma pulled her blades back and impaled him through the chest, piercing his heart. Yan stared down at the injury, feeling no pain but instead a cool sensation. He smirked at this and glared up at Kuma.</p><p>"You are far too kind for your own good. Even though you too are a warrior you will not grant me the same death as one. Or maybe you just wanted to make me suffer by stealing it from me. Either way you are still a fool."</p><p>The ninja girl smiled and shook her head. "I did not ask to become a warrior you know? I never wanted to kill or hurt a living soul. When I was still alive I thought that battle was two fighters dueling over their beliefs but I soon figured out that I was wrong. I could never stomach taking a life and yet I was trained to do just that. I died fighting to my last breath and passed with weapon in hand. You wanted a warrior's death but as one who already had one I should tell you that such things are nothing but lies and illusions. I want to end your cycle of conflict and so I took pity on you. I do hope that you find peace now that it has been broken."</p><p>"Heh, you shame me. Never have I met someone who cared so much for an enemy that she would give him a painless death. You have moved my very soul." The swordsman said as the life began to slip from him. "I will make sure that I never forget you. Use my power as you see fit. And also...Thank you. All of the voices of those I killed...They are finally silent..." He closed his eyes and his body instantly dissolved into a purple wisp. This wisp flew into Kuma's chest and the man's memories went into her. She smiled somewhat sadly and held a hand over her chest.</p><p>"I hope you finally can find the true peace that you have searched so long for. As long as I have your memories with me you will not be forgotten. Goodbye Yan Tsuchikage." Then she turned and headed to Mara's position.</p><p>The two partners met each other halfway. Mara stared in awe at Kuma's new appearance and her stunning beauty while she noticed the raw skin around his face and arms. He walked up to her and began to study her from front to back, clearly fascinated.</p><p>"You've got a kimono now?! That's so cool! It makes you look so much hotter than before Kuma! And two katana?! That's super awesome! Man are you the best partner a guy can ask for!"</p><p>Kuma blushed. "T-Thank you Mara. And I've noticed that you look a lot more defined yourself. It's very...Manly I suppose."</p><p>"Haha yeah, you won't believe what sort of day I had."</p><p>They both relieved their fights to one another. Kuma scolded Mara for his reckless use of <strong>Senjutsu</strong> which he felt bad about but convinced her that it was the only way he could defeat Lloyd. She told him the sudden transformation she had now assumed and the fate of her opponent. She left off the part about hearing his voice, best not to let him know that he was the reason she was still fighting. Nodding at all of this Mara rested his arms behind his head and grinned.</p><p>"Alright, now that that's settled we need to go after the others. We are last so I don't want to keep them waiting any longer. I can't wait to tell them the news about you. They are going to be so jealous!" Then he turned to his partner and gave her a warm smile. "Let's go. We've got a promise to keep."</p><p>Kuma stared at him for awhile before a smile crossed her face and she nodded. "Yes we do. I'm right behind you as always Mara."</p><p>They walked off in the direction of the portal side by side. Both ninjas with a smile on their faces as they couldn't wait to see their friends once again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Royal Empress's Lament</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; Last time Mara and Kuma had just successfully won their respective battles against Lloyd Donald and Yan Tsuchikage. The battle was brutal and deadly but using their bonds of friendship the two ninjas gained the strength to overcome their foes. Kuma's evolution was a big surprise as well but I'm glad she was able to take the next step into getting stronger. Now that they are done it's time we tuned into Abelia and Penelope's battles. This seems like it's going to be intense so wish them luck everyone!"<br/>Aero; This should be good.<br/>Fellie; Whoa Aero?! They let you here too?!<br/>Aero; They wouldn't stop pestering me so no I've got no choice but to listen to you tell our story. What a drag...<br/>Fellie; Yeah...Well then everyone enjoy the story!<br/>Aero; They'd better or I'm gonna have a talk with the author.<br/>Fellie; Scary!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 13-The Royal Empress's Lament</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Abelia</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>The clash between Abelia and the little girl Nai began with an explosive start. Abelia used her superior speed to avoid each of Nai's crossbow bolts. When she was within range the redhead stabbed at her but Nai deflected it with her bow and swung it at her. Abelia jumped back and slashed while spinning at her, sending the little girl flying back. Nai quickly caught herself and fired another explosive bolt at Abelia who had roll to avoid the explosion. When she stood back up she saw Nai standing over her with her bow aimed straight at her face.</p><p>"I never thought in a million years that I would meet a member of the Valentine family in a competition like this. I can hardly believe that I get to finally take my vengeance."</p><p>"What vengeance? Why do you hate the Valentines so much?" Abelia asked.</p><p>Nai smiled. "It's because you guys enjoy walking on poor people like me and my family. For so long I had to suffer constant mistreatment just because we weren't wealthy. People like you who get whatever they want just from being born of pure-blood makes me sick!"</p><p>The girl pulled back on her notched arrow and prepared to fire. Abelia quickly smacked the tip away just as her opponent released, the arrow flew above her and caught in a tree. Then the redhead lunged with her rapier at Nai's torso but the girl angled her body to dodge. Abelia kicked her back and locked weapons with her again.</p><p>"That has nothing to do with me. My family would never disrespect someone because of their class. Don't compare us to other stuck-up wretches!" She stabbed at Nai with lightening fast strikes. Nai dodged and blocked each one before jumping away from her opponent.</p><p>"You're wrong! I remember pleading and begging one of your relatives once to spare some coin for me once before and do you know what he did? He sneered at me! The bastard gave me a look that practically wanted to spit the word trash out to me. I used to look up to your family but after that day my heart broke. I can never forgive people who see desperate beggars like me as garbage. Sorry about this, but I'll have to take my hatred out on you in your relative's place!"</p><p>She shot another bolt at Abelia's feet, which exploded into vines. They wrapped around her legs and lifted the redhead into the air. She kicked and struggled but couldn't escape the trap. Nai smirked and held out her hand toward Abelia. Magical symbols appeared on her outstretched hand and suddenly a torrent of bubbles flew at Abelia. When they made contact with her each bubble popped and stung her skin. Whatever those bubbles were made of burned like crazy. Abelia braced the pain as the bubbles began to burn through her clothing and to her skin. Nai began to laugh psychotically at Abelia's pain.</p><p>"Hahahahaha! This is so great! Your face looks way more prettier twisted in pain! Show me more of those pain stricken emotions! Or even better beg for me to stop! Beg as I have all my life!"</p><p>Abelia gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath. "This doesn't appear to be good."</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Penelope</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>Penelope was locked in an intense powerstruggle with the redhaired fire-user Ayu. The girl shot streams of flames at Penelope but the servant countered them with streams of ice. She then summoned a magic circle in front of her and a spear of ice flew at Ayu. The redhead cupped her hands over her mouth and blew out flames like a dragon which slammed into the spear and melted it. Penelope grinned and summoned another magic circle which orbited behind her. She snapped her fingers and 20 more ice spears flew toward Ayu. The girl reacted quickly and made a fire shield around herself, defeating the spell.</p><p>"You are quite skilled Miss. Your fire is a match for my ice." Penelope complimented.</p><p>"You aren't bad yourself. I didn't expect that you'd be this good at magic. Though it doesn't really matter, I'm still going to roast you." Ayu replied with flames in her fist.</p><p>Penelope smirked from ear to ear. "Excellent. This will be fun after all!"</p><p>She twirled her daggers and using the powerful muscles in her legs she shot toward her opponent. Ayu created fire swords from her hands and lunged toward Penelope as well. The two collided and their powers generated a violent shockwave. Penelope phased out and tried to attack Ayu from behind but the fire magic user sensed her and dodged. Ayu quickly thrust a fire encased fist at the pink haired girl's face but Penelope stopped it in time by gathering ice magic in her hand and grabbing Ayu's wrist. The ice began to spread down the woman's wrist, which made Ayu panic and kick Penelope away.</p><p>"What were just trying to do just now?!" She demanded. "That ice was different. It was eating at my flames."</p><p>Penelope explained. "That's because I weaved a spell into the ice itself. It isn't anything too major but a mana absorption spell. I was only trying to use it to weaken you a bit."</p><p>Ayu gritted her teeth. "I shouldn't have let myself fall into that. This battle is a huge disadvantage for me. Sorry about this, but I can't really stall any longer. I'm gonna use my trump cards now!"</p><p>The woman began to gather mana around herself in the form of a rising flame. This energy entered Ayu's hair and turned it orange for some strange reason. Penelope sensed the change in pressure at her opponent's display of strength and instead of being nervous about it she just smiled. As Ayu began to approach her Penelope practically giggled in excitement and began hopping up and down on the balls of her feet.</p><p>"This is going to be so much fun! Let's see who dies first in this fight, you or me!" The girl transformed into her battle state and the two went at each other once again.</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Abelia</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>Abelia was tossed and thrown back-first into trees and the ground. She was covered in cuts and bruises and her forehead bled viciously, causing her vision to be tainted red. Nai was laughing at her pain as well as assaulting the redhead's body with more acidic bubbles. She manipulated the vines to slam Abelia down and finally released the trap. Abelia withered in pain but pushed herself to her knees and reached for her rapier. Nai sneered and shot another explosive bolt at her, blowing Abelia off her feet again. The redhead stayed on the for a few seconds before struggling to her feet. Nai clicked her tongue in annoyance and pointed her bow towards Abelia's head.</p><p>"I see you still carry that noble's sense of superiority. You get back to fight despite the pain you're in acting like it's no big deal. You high and mighty types make me sick!"</p><p>Abelia continued to look down at the ground with a darkened expression. "That's not it. I'm not ignoring my pain nor am I standing to show you that I can take it. I'm standing because I understand you and I don't want to lose."</p><p>"What?" Nai demanded.</p><p>"It took me getting beaten around by you just now to open my eyes. I've heard of people like you who hate my family. My father makes many enemies in his line of work so I really shouldn't be surprised. I am truly sorry about what my relative did to you. Put I'm not like him. I want to change all that hate."</p><p>Nai growled. "The hell are you talking about?"</p><p>Abelia spit a glob of blood onto the ground beside her. "I gathered information on all the people who my father and relatives have wronged. All of them suffered from constant insults and pity. They were poor, penniless, and weak. We thought ourselves too high above them and saw them only as poor homeless dogs. Father was so obsessed with making us the best that he doesn't see the harm that he's doing to people like you. He practically beat those lessons into my head just to make sure I was perfect than others. I never really had a good childhood either, nor have I ever experienced life like you did. I'm really sorry for that but please know that I will do everything to change that. No one should suffer the way you have."</p><p>Nai's face darkened again and she gritted her teeth so hard it drew blood. Her anger grew so much that it poured out of her in the form of a scream. "How dare you! Do you really think your sympathy will help change me?! You are a goddamn idiot! It doesn't matter what you say! I long since passed the time for compassion and sympathy! I hate you and your family for everything you did to us. Because of you...It's because of you...<strong>That My Mother's Gone!</strong>"</p><p>The little girl fired an elemental bolt at Abelia. She closed her eyes and channeled soul Energy into her rapier, causing the weapon to glow with a blue aura. As the bolt came within range of her Abelia's sword flashed and instantly the projectile was split down the middle. Abelia held out her rapier toward Nai and her entire body began to emit a light blue aura. The redhead suddenly dashed forward so quickly that she left a blue trial. Her opponent held up her bow to block but the force behind the attack sent her to the ground. Abelia stood over the small girl now with the blue aura still surrounding her.</p><p>"Time I showed the true power of the <strong>Royal Empress Style</strong>!"</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Penelope</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>The roar of fire and screeching of ice could be heard between Penelope and Ayu. The servant clashed with the fire user several times using their spells. Ayu unleashed a wave of flames while Penelope got rid of it with beams of frost. She came in with another dagger slash but Ayu blocked it with her blade of flames. The two struggled to overpower one another but found themselves evenly matched. Penelope kicked Ayu back and slammed her knee into the girl's face, causing Ayu to stumble back.</p><p>The servant attempted to take advantage but Ayu blocked her next slash and smashed her elbow into her ribs. Penelope staggered backwards while clutching her stomach and Ayu punched the young women in the face with a fire fist. Penelope hit the ground with a slight burn on her face. She soothed the burn using her ice magic and rolled just as Ayu tried to slam her fire encased foot onto her. Penelope back flipped away from her and began to breathe heavily.</p><p>"I've overexerted my mana way too much. I tried to attack her in short bursts but she's been countering all my moves easily. But that should also mean that she should be running out too. All I have is get her to waste all mana through attacking and she'll be weakened."</p><p>Ayu gave Penelope a curious look and smirked. "What's the matter? You were fighting so well before now you've backed away? I think you're just trying to get me to expend all my energy on you right? Well sorry to say I've still got a little left in the tank, plus my backup in reserve. I won't be going down that easily!"</p><p>She began to gather flames around her again. These flames began to swirl and combine themselves into a solid form. When it was finished a huge man of fire was standing before Penelope. The man had eyes that glowed like nuclear explosions. He wore a flaming toga and wings of flames on his back. The being roared and flames spew from its mouth into the air, instantly setting the trees ablaze. Penelope stared at this giant in amazement while the beast only gave her an intense glance. Ayu laughed at her reaction and gestured to the giant.</p><p>"You know what this is? It is called flame creation magic! Its a forgotten branch to all fire elements. An art that gives the user the ability to summon creatures of their own imagination through the flames around them. A soulless beast who only exists to eradicate all foes who stand in its master's way. I only recently learned how to use this magic spell so thanks for being my first guinea pig!"</p><p>Ayu waved her hand and the giant responded. It lifted its fist and brought it down to the girl. Penelope phased out and away from the attack as the ground exploded where she had just been standing. The giant threw its fist at her but Penelope intercepted it by freezing the monster's entire hand. The beast stared down at its frozen limb curiously before melting it off with its powerful flames. Ayu pointed at Penelope and the giant inhaled deeply before bellowing out a stream of heat and fire at her. Penelope spun on her heels while conjuring ice magic and formed a spiral dome to protect herself. The stream hit the shield and nearly shattered it with ease. When the attack was finished Penelope was on her knees panting from exhaustion and the intense heat.</p><p>The giant stumbled over to her and grabbed the servant. It lifted her up and studied her like a child would a new toy. Unknowing to it the giant was severely burning the girl as well. Her skin was scarred and burned while her clothes were being melted through and set ablaze. Penelope screamed out as she was being incinerated and weakly tried to summon magic to save herself. The painful flames kept stifling her concentration through and the best she could do was a slight breeze that barely did anything but slow down the burning process. As she began to black out the servant's mind began to think of her master.</p><p>"I'm sorry Lady Abelia. I'm afraid I failed you..."</p><p>"What are you doing stupid? Don't tell me you're giving up?"</p><p>The voice of her master in her mind instantly snapped the girl into consciousness. "L-Lady Abelia?"</p><p>"You are the first in a while that I've learned to respect. Get back up and fight! That's an order!"</p><p>Penelope began to remember the time where she first met Abelia. Back then the girl was nothing but a mindless beast seeking only battles and her own survival. Hundreds of monsters came to challenge her and devour her soul and yet every time Penelope would win and end up consuming their souls. This cycle continued on so long that it became the girl's lifestyle. Fighting, eating, surviving, all of this continued for who knows how long. The girl's love of fighting grew so much that it soon became an addiction, she had to fight. The thrill of combat was like a drug she could not get rid of. At first she was afraid of it but eventually came to terms with this addiction. She never lost a single fight before until that one faithful day.</p><p>The girl had just finished fighting an ambush of 30 monsters and was drenched head to toe in their blood. She began to devour the souls of each one and increasing her strength little by little. As she was feasting the sound of footsteps behind her drew her attention and Penelope turned to the noise with her daggers out. She was shocked to see a young redheaded woman in a blue coat, slightly older than her, approach. Was she a half life like her? No, this woman reeked of human scent. Why was a human here of all things Penelope did not know. Still she was very cautious around this stranger.</p><p>The redhaired woman stared at her with a blank expression before looking at the carcasses of the monsters littered around her. The woman glanced back up to Penelope with glint of impression in her eyes. "I take it you were the one who dealt with this lot?"</p><p>Penelope didn't know how to answer. This was the first person to talk to her in awhile so speaking English to her was an effort to do. She clicked her tongue in annoyance at the effort. Eventually one word came out. "Y-Yes."</p><p>The woman nodded slightly. "I see. 30 monsters is a tough group to defeat. You look pretty thin and weak yet you ended them without hesitation. Very impressive."</p><p>This woman was making Penelope feel uneasy. She sensed that the redhead was sincere in her words yet why did she feel so strange. It was as if she were was happy for the compliment. As if something in her was actually proud of the woman's approval. Penelope shook it off and growled. "Who are you?!"</p><p>She answered calmly. "I am Abelia Valentine. Soon to be next head of the Valentine company and inheritor of the <strong>Royal Empress Style</strong>. I've come looking for someone strong. Who are you?"</p><p>"P-Penelope."</p><p>Abelia smiled at her. "Penelope, what a wonderful name. Judging by your unnatural eye color you are a Memphtis, a rare kind of undead who are as loyal to their masters as dogs are. Perfect, I wish to ask you to become my partner."</p><p>Penelope blinked in confusion. This person wanted her to become her partner? No one had ever asked her that. She vaguely remembered the name that Abelia had said, the Valentine company. She knew how powerful a family like that was. Why would someone as high up as this girl wish for a stray like Penelope to be her partner. That would bound the two for life. No she couldn't accept, Penelope still had her pride.</p><p>"No. I don't accept Contracts with any humans. Find someone else to bother."</p><p>Abelia frowned and looked at her feet in what seemed to be thought. She suddenly looked up at Penelope with a smirk. "How about this. I know how much you Memphtii enjoy combat. If I defeat you in a duel you will have to accept my Contract. But if you win I will go elsewhere. Agreed?"</p><p>She shifted her coat and only then did Penelope notice the blade hanging from her belt. It was a rapier, a beautiful weapon made for elegant striking and precision. Its extended reach will give her an advantage over Penelope if they were to duel but she was confident that she could out pace this human. The more she thought about this duel the more interested she was. It would be a simple enough victory, then the woman could be on her way with someone else. Penelope thought this was the right course and accepted. "Agreed."</p><p>Abelia slowly drew her rapier and spread her feet in a fighting stance. Penelope twirled her daggers and lowered herself into a crouch. The two stood glaring at each other for a moment before Penelope charged forward with weapons flashing. The duel began quickly.</p><p>Two hours or so later Penelope was lying on the ground defeated, breathing heavily with sword cuts over her body. Her hair was white and her daggers were at her side. Abelia stood over her without a scratch nor breathing heavily with her rapier pointed at the fallen girl. "What are you doing stupid? Don't tell me you're giving up?"</p><p>Penelope gritted her teeth and tried to stand but her legs wouldn't let her. Abelia shook her head in disappointment. "You are the first in a while that I've learned to respect. Get back up and fight! That's an order!"</p><p>"I'm not your slave!"</p><p>Abelia glared down at the girl who refused to move. Slowly but obviously a smile began to make its way on her pretty face. She chuckled to herself. "Of course not. You have too much spirit for that. But you are my servant now since I did win. Come now Penelope, I will lead you to a life away from this. Where all your talents will be appreciated and you can fight truly strong opponents. Your potential is wasted here, with me you'll never have to live like an animal ever again." She extended her hand.</p><p>Penelope looked up at the outstretched hand in wonder. This woman had defeated her with ease and didn't even gloat about it. This was her first loss ever but strangely she felt no disappointment. The light coming off of Abelia was warm and majestic, strong yet gentle. With her Penelope knew that she would have a whole new existence, one away from all of this survive and fight cycle. With Abelia, she could do anything.</p><p>"Thank you." She grabbed her hand. "I promise to serve you from this day on, Lady Abelia!"</p><p>"Good. Just promise not to hold me back and we'll do fine."</p><p>And with that the Contract between them was born.</p><p>In present day this memory filled Penelope with joy. Abelia was counting on her to win this fight. She couldn't be allowed to lose. She had to see her master once again. To be by her side once again. Penelope wouldn't let her master be eliminated from the games because of her failure. She would win this battle!</p><p>"By my honor as a Memphtis and by my promise of service to Lady Abelia I will not lose this fight!"</p><p>Suddenly a icy blue aura began to radiate from the girl. It flowed onto the giant's hand and down its arm, freezing the whole limb and shattering it to pieces. The servant landed to the ground on her feet and a look of determination flashed on her face. The ground around her began to freeze over and as it touched the giant it howled in pain. Ayu stared at Penelope in amazement as her power began to rise drastically. The ice coming off of Penelope began to to encase her in a dome and shined with a white light. Eventually the dome shattered and standing before both Ayu and the giant was a new Penelope.</p><p>The girl's eyes were now a whitish pink with her long pink hair now becoming spiky. Her sailor uniform was now a blue, white, and light green bodysuit that cutoff at the knees so that the stockings were exposed and the same brown dress shoes she always wore. There were pockets on the sides of her bodysuit for extra daggers. Penelope studied her new outfit curiously and smirked. "A bodysuit huh? I guess its stylish despite being a little flashy. It'll feel a bit strange to take it off using a zipper but I suppose it will do."</p><p>Ayu continued to stare at Penelope. "No way...How could you get this much power? I was sure you'd be fried to death already by my giant."</p><p>The servant glared at her. "Unfortunately for you my bond with my mistress gives me far more power than you might think I have. When she is in my mind I feel inner strength, as if I can do anything. My magic practically comes from my love for my mistress. The energy I have now is so intense I can barely keep it in. What should I call myself now I wonder? I guess I'm now a...Frost Queen."</p><p>"Impossible! I'm gonna finish you off! Kill her giant!"</p><p>The flame giant was too preoccupied studying its arm which didn't regenerate. Ayu forced it to react and the monster's arm turned into a blade. It swung the blade at her but Penelope quickly casted a spell and the sword shattered on impact. Both giant and master were surprised at this. Penelope held her hand out to the beast and a white magic circle appeared above it. With a snap of her fingers a ice beam came from the circle and completely froze the giant solid. Using another hand motion the servant summoned another magic circle which fired off icicles at the frozen giant, piercing its chest and head. Next Penelope cast four orbiting circles around the giant and swords of ice came through and sliced into the monster. Penelope coolly turned away from the beast as the ice began to crack and shatter, the giant shattering with it and becoming glittering snow that fell to the ground.</p><p>Ayu stared at the sight with shocked expression. This girl single handedly destroyed a giant of flame with just a few ice spells. This couldn't be real. And yet the girl stood before her with no injures nor sign of exhaustion. Ayu gritted her teeth and charged at Penelope with her back turned. She attempted a weak fire punch but was surprised that the fire didn't appear. She tried to conjure it but no fire came out. She then noticed Penelope with her hand out toward her. The girl grinned at her confidently.</p><p>"I completely froze the magical circuits in your body. You won't be able to summon any flames for awhile." She explained.</p><p>The fire user backed away in fear and continued to try her flames to no avail. This wasn't happening she thought. This girl had canceled out her magic, destroyed her giant, and stood there with a smile on her face. The utter humiliation of this spurred Ayu's anger and suddenly her trump card awakened. Blue fire flowed from her back and to her hair also causing it to turn blue. The girl manipulated this fire to burn bright and it responded, glowing with the force of a supernova.</p><p>"You think that was all of my firepower?! Don't be ridiculous! I told you I still had my trump card! A flame that burns brighter than normal flames, one that melts through the soul itself. Try to freeze these flames! They will melt your ice then your soul!"</p><p>Ayu charged at Penelope with the blue flames at her back. Penelope calmly waited for the girl to get close while secretly casting a spell. <strong>"Spirit Of Blizzards And Tundras, I Call For Your Aid. Devastate The Land With An Ocean Of Frost And Etch Your Forbidden Name Onto The Earth. I Offer Up This Soul To You As A Divine Sacrifice..."</strong></p><p>The fire user came within range and swung her fist at Penelope. The girl ducked and slammed her palm into Ayu's stomach before unleashing the spell. <strong>"Frost Coffin!"</strong></p><p>An explosion of ice fired from Penelope's hand and a ocean of frost engulfed her opponent's entire body. The blue flames were consumed instantly with her. When the attack ended Ayu was know apart of a frozen sculpture, her eyes glaring at Penelope and her mouth open in anger. The servant gave her frozen opponent a sad look before drawing a magic circle on the ice, which shattered both the ice and the girl inside it to pieces. All that was left of Ayu was her red soul which flew into Penelope and fused into her. Ayu's memories and power flooded into her body. Looking through the memories Penelope felt sad.</p><p>"I see you haven't lived a good life in your time. You were just a simple girl who was subjected to bullying and family abuse. You never really had any close friends until you died and met that girl Nai. You regret leaving her by herself and being forgotten by her. Don't worry Ayu, as long as I have both your memories and you powers I will not forget you. In fact perhaps I can get my master to visit her and tell her you said hi. Trust me, she will not forget."</p><p>Penelope walked away. The ground behind her was still frozen and the air around her began to snow.</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Abelia</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>Abelia clashed with Nai with an new valor. She moved faster than sound, creating afterimages that confused Nai. The little girl tried to follow her movements but couldn't. The blue trail was all that could be seen. Abelia appeared behind her and kicked the girl forward, then appeared before her with a strike from her sword hilt. Nai tried to strike her back but Abelia vanished again. Her weapon began to glow once again and Abelia fired off a blue beam at Nai, knocking her back. The small girl stood to her feet and shot into the air. The midair bolt multiplied and rained down around the battlefield. Abelia had to angle her body to avoid the falling projectiles. On closer exception each bolt had a miniature explosive on each one, Abelia noticed this and jumped away just in time. The ground exploded and practically shook.</p><p>Nai fired up at Abelia but the girl conjured a shield to stop it. As she landed Nai used the advantage to close the distance between her and Abelia, a wicked smile on her face as she pressed the crossbow to Abelia's stomach. <strong>"You Are Dead!"</strong></p><p>She fired the bolt and it seemed to enter Abelia's body. However though the redhead vanished suddenly and phased in behind her. She thrust her palm onto Nai's back and a magic circle appeared. With a small burst of magical power Abelia unleashed a shockwave from the circle that sent the small girl flying forward and through a few trees. Nai crawled back to her feet with blood on her forehead and shook in anger. "I've had enough of you! Can't believe I have to use my best bolt against scum like you! Whatever, at least it will get the job done!"</p><p>The small girl took out a different crossbow bolt from her quiver and loaded it. This unique bolt had a golden tip that began to emit flames as it was pulled back against the bow string. A crushing pressure could be felt from Nai as she loaded the bolt with a smile. "This is my most ultimate bolt, <strong>The Supernova Bolt</strong>. If it hits you'll be instantly incinerated by its blazing heat. And don't even thinking about dodging or blocking, this bolt is faster than the eye can see and it can pierce any defense. This final shot will end this fight! Finally I will get revenge on all you rich snobs once and for all!"</p><p>"She's crazy! Does she really mean to blow me off the map?!" Abelia thought while charging her blue energy. The power took the form of a shield covering her body like armor. Abelia pointed her rapier at Nai and grinned slightly, welcoming the danger. "Alright then, show me what you've got! Show me all your spirit and strength in this final attack. Time I did the same!"</p><p>Nai sneered and released the bolt, sending it flying like a orange streak towards its target. Abelia didn't move and as the bolt slammed into her it sliced through her body shield and through her stomach and exploding with the power of a mini nuclear blast. The area that the bolt had landed in was surrounded by a spiral of flames and heat, vaporizing all signs of plant-life around it. Nai laughed psychotically, knowing that the rich girl had certainly been incinerated by the attack. However though when the flames died down and you could see into it the small girl found no body. There wasn't even a sign of blood anywhere nor anything else that the redhead would have left behind in the explosion. Suddenly she felt something behind her and a strong blow sent her sliding facefirst into the ground. Abelia stood behind the girl with a hand on her hip and body almost perfectly fine. There was a medium sized hole in her coat with slight drops of blood oozing out. Though it didn't make sense on how she survived. Unless...</p><p>Abelia seemed to guess what Nai was thinking. "I cast a slight speed enhancement spell on my body to temporarily boost my overall speed by 10. I was barely able to dodge your shot but I still escaped with little injury besides this one. It was simple enough making an afterimage myself with my speed. It fooled you quite easily."</p><p>She walked up to the downed Nai and pointed her rapier at her. "Not all nobles or wealthy people are oppressive. I don't take any pleasure in holding my wealth over your head nor would berate you for it. The entire reason I entered this competition, the real reason I joined, is because of that very ideal. I will win a wish to get him to see the horrors of what he has been doing. No one like you will ever suffer under the Valentine name again."</p><p>Nai glared up at Abelia with pain and hate in her eyes. She couldn't believe she was being pitied by this snooty rich girl. Though perhaps there was truth to her words. The small girl closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Fine then. Don't let it happen again, or I'll hunt you down and kill you slow."</p><p>Abelia allowed herself a slight smirk. "I hope that you also get the mental care someone of your mindset should have. You've taught me much about my family secrets...Thank you." The redhead pointed her sword toward Nai's head and a faint blue mist trickled out of it. Once it came in contact with her the small girl closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. Abelia turned her back and limped away, thoughts back on her father and the terrible path that their family was being led on.</p><p>The two girls found eachother quickly. Penelope was horrified at the state Abelia was in while the redhead was slightly unnerved by the new clothing that her partner was wearing. They swapped stories with one another and afterwards Penelope began to heal Abelia's wounds.</p><p>"I'm sorry you had to go through such an ordeal Lady Abelia. To think someone would hate you so much that they would wish harm upon you. The very thought of you dying to someone like that sickens me. It was foolish of her to think she could beat you."</p><p>Abelia shook her head. "Don't say that. Nai is an example of everything I dislike about how my father runs our family. I need to make sure that I don't forget her. I've learned a great deal from her. After we finish this competition I'll confront my father on his crimes to the poor." She then looked back at Penelope. "And what's with your outfit? That bodysuit might be beautiful to look at but it is highly inappropriate. You'll have to practically zip it off and that shows too much skin. A lady shouldn't wear something that showy!"</p><p>Penelope scratched behind her head. "It isn't like I chose to wear it. I have no control over my evolution. And plus it gives off a more sexy look for me. I wouldn't mind showing this off to Aero hehehe! Or maybe you Lady Abelia. I wouldn't mind you tearing this off me..." She said seductively.</p><p>The redhead looked away, embarrassed. "Cut it out idiot! Focus on the healing already!"</p><p>The servant laughed. "Just teasing! You are right though, we have to get back to the others. They'll need our help after all." She looked at Abelia for a moment before grinning. "I remembered that day you saved me from becoming a monster. From becoming a lonely savage with no purpose but to fight. I owe you a debt that I will never be able to repay. Though there is one thing I know for certain...I will always be by your side. No matter what happens."</p><p>They stared into each others eyes for a moment before nodded. "Of course. As expected off my loyal servant."</p><p>After Abelia was fully healed she stood with the help of the pink-haired girl. They went ahead towards the portal, both partners side by side to await what the future held for them. Whatever threat they faced they knew they would handle it together. And for the first time they were glad they weren't alone. Their friends were waiting for them now and they wouldn't let them down. That was a silent promise they both made and they will make fulfill it, no matter the cost.</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The Shepard And The Priest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; Last time Abelia and Penelope clashed head to head with the girl Nai and the fire user Ayu. Turns out that Nai actually had a deep personal hatred toward Abelia and the entire Valentine family. She was forced to come to terms with her demons and overcome the power of the psychotic Nai. Penelope was caught in a bind with Ayu, who tried to crush her with a huge flame giant. She remembered the promise that she made with Abelia and ascended to a new level of evolution that gave her the strength to win. Now with both girls finally done we have one more battle left to cover. Ty vs. Earl Mason!"<br/>Aero; I always wondered what that priest was hiding. He seems way too damn sketchy.<br/>Fellie; What? Do you not trust priests?<br/>Aero; No but that isn't the only reason. I think that he is keeping something important from us.<br/>Fellie; Well who knows what he's thinking. Let's just get to the story alright?<br/>Aero; Fine, fine.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 14-The Shepard And The Priest</p><hr/><p>The sound of blows and slashes could be heard as Ty and Earl fought one another at supersonic speeds. The priest swung his swords at Earl but the man parried each one with his crook. He fired a point blank bullet at Ty, the old man angled his head so it flew past and retaliated with a kick to his opponent's stomach. Earl fired 4 times at Ty who deflected each bullet. The priest tried an overhead cut with his swords but Earl rolled under them and stood away from the old man. The two started to pace around each other, waiting for who would make the next move.</p><p>While Earl paced he started up a conversation with the priest. "You've got a lot of skill despite your age. Didn't know that they taught priests how to fight so well."</p><p>"We must always stand ready to battle the forces of the unholy at all times. It doesn't matter how old you are for God gives all his children the power to fight for what is right." Ty replied.</p><p>"I see. I've heard quite a bit about your little holy group. They call you <strong>The Order of Light</strong>. You are a organization that existed during the same time the monster wars between humans and demons years ago. You guys fought against the first lord of the Underworld Hades. Then you briefly clashed with Lucifer and his horde. After that your order disbanded, free to live your lives as you saw fit. Now you have reformed at a most curious time. Tell me, what brought you all back? You no longer have a war to end."</p><p>Ty's expression darkened and he twirled his blades skillfully. He didn't answer for a time and when he did it was in a cold voice. "That is none of your business. We always have a war to fight."</p><p>Earl chuckled. "I suppose you do. As expected of one of <strong>Four Knights Of The Holy Cross </strong>I guess."</p><p>Ty gasped. "You know about that too?" Then his face hardened. "I understand now. You are too informed for your own good. To protect the Order I must dispatch you here."</p><p>"And what about your companions? Do you really have time to waste on me when they need you more?"</p><p>"Unfortunately for them I have no choice. Besides those young people have been doing fine without me. They are strong and filled with willpower. I believe that they can overcome any trial as long as they have each other."</p><p>Ty lunged at Earl with his swords and locked weapons with the man. The two struggled to push the other away but they were evenly matched. Earl smirked and leaned in close to the priest. "Your blind faith in those two is meaningless. They are skilled but I doubt they have what it takes to fight against the many dangers of the other worlds. More than likely they will die in some truly graphic and disgusting way to a powerful monster. Nothing can stop that from happening."</p><p>The priest grunted. Earl aimed his pistol at Ty's head and pulled the trigger but suddenly the elder vanished. Ty came at him from the air, swinging his blades down to cleave the younger man in half. Earl sidestepped and swiped at Ty with his crook but the priest deflected it easily. The two then assaulted one another with lightening fast attacks, moving so fast that their weapons blurred. Eventually Ty forced him back and crossed his blades which began to glow yellow. He held them above his head and shouted the attack's name. "<strong>5th Path Of Genesis; Golden Cross!</strong>"</p><p>A cross shaped shockwave launched from the swords and toward Earl. The man aimed his pistol toward the incoming attack and black runes spread across the barrel. He fired a single shot and a giant sized black energy ball flew and collided with the cross technique, exploding with the force of a bomb. When the dust cleared a crater had appeared between the two combatants, a clear testament to their abilities.</p><p>Ty launched himself through the dust and crossed weapons with Earl. The man pointed his gun toward the sky and fired a single bullet from it. The projectile split into several more bullets and showered down towards the two fighters. They leapt out of the way as the bullets slammed into the ground where they had both been standing, forming a small crater in between them. Earl chased after the priest with his crook, which began to glow with black runes. Ty blocked the attack and a shockwave exploded around them from the force behind Earl's attack.</p><p>The priest backstepped away from him and twirled his swords in a ready stance. Earl leered at the priest for some time before bursting out in joyful laughter. "Hahahahaha! Truly this is quite an interesting day indeed! To fight someone of great strength is an honor! How about we let ourselves lose from here on?! I grow tired of holding back my powers in combat all the time!"</p><p>The man lifted his crook in the air and the black runes swirled around it. The marks began to change shape until they took the form of black snakelike figures. The air around Earl gave off a ghostly, demonic presence that made the priests eyes go wide. Laughing like a madman Earl pointed at Ty and the snakes flew at him. The old man dodged the first one, sliced the next one in half, and conjured a barrier to ward off another snake. Multiple snakes began to surround him and zoomed in for the kill. Ty crossed his blades and they began to glow once again. <strong>"4th Path Of Genesis; Ark Of Noah!"</strong></p><p>A golden sphere field surrounded the priest to protect him from the deadly attack. The snakes exploded on contact and created a small cloud of smoke around Ty. After it cleared Ty banished the barrier then reached into his robe pocket. He produced some sort of golden wire from it which began to wrap itself around his arm and left sword with a life of its own. Ty swung the blade and suddenly the wires fired from weapon towards Earl. It constricted around the man's arm and then with incredible strength Ty pulled back on his sword, nearly sending his opponent flying to him. Instead the crook was dragged out of his fist and into the priest's hand, where it was snapped in half and thrown to the ground. Ty glared at Earl afterwards with a face of cold fury.</p><p>"There! Your crook was a symbol of the Shepherd which is one of the characters known in the Holy Bible. You are not the same person and so the very sight of you misusing such a tool angered me to no end. Now you are weaponless except for your pistol however I am truly confident that it will not be much of a problem. The advantage is mine it seems."</p><p>Earl smirked and pointed his gun at the priest. "You think so do you? Well unfortunately you are wrong friend. The crook was nothing more than a decorative weapon I used to act as a conduit to my Soul Energy. I have no true knowledge on fighting with it so such a tool is useless now. My true weapon all this time is the gun not the crook!"</p><p>He aimed at Ty's feet and fired a single shot. The bullet into the ground in front of him and exploded in a shower of darkness. Ty flashstepped away just in time, but suddenly he felt a pain erupt in his right shoulder. Earl had just left him a nasty scar from a bullet onto his shoulder. Dark writing began to show through the old man's clothes and caused him agony. He clutched the wound and stood away from his smirking enemy.</p><p>"My darkness infused bullets have the ability to curse anyone it touches with a deadly poison that spreads quickly to the body until it reaches the heart. Once that happens the poison eats away at the systems keeping the heart beating, granting you a slow and internally agonizing demise. A single scratch causes the poison to enter instantly. Your body is fragile and weak, it will not take very long for the poison to kill you. No matter how powerful you are."</p><p>Now it was Ty's turn to chuckle. "Hehehehehe! Do you really believe that?! Listen boy this body has had many experiences in its age and survived everyone! Someone like you is far too green to hope to break my body and spirit! Come now Mister Earl, I have gone quite tired of being underestimated by punks like you!"</p><p>Ty clasped his hands in a prayer position and began to speak in an unknown language. Several halos rotated around the priest and pointed toward Earl. They fired powerful beams of light at him, each one strong enough to melt through steel. He dodged the first blasts and rolled away from another. Ty manipulated the halos to change formation and alter their attacks. Earl evaded and shot at the circles to end the spell but it had no effect on the halos. They all fired a beam at the same time which slammed into Earl brutally. He was sent flying into the air and landing on his back painfully. The halos returned back to their master and began orbiting around him again. Earl pushed himself back to his feet, wiping away a trail of blood from his lip. Gritting his teeth Earl held out his gun at the priest.</p><p>"That hurt quite a lot old man! The strength of you Knights isn't something to underestimate even against elders! I will not hold back anymore! This time I will make sure that you are finished, with every fiber of my magical power!" He said before suddenly leveling the gun to his own head. He pulled the trigger and the bullet ripped straight through his skull. Dark runes began to spread from his head down to his torso and the blood leaking from his wound turned black and purple. When it came into contact with the ground it hissed and sizzled. Purple veins appeared throughout Earl's hands and face. And when he lifted his head to look at Ty the priest saw that his eyes were now a combo of both red and purple. The magical energy emitting from him was close to that of a minor demon lord, that was what Ty was thinking. The air gave of a malicious scent and breathing was harder to do since the air had also grown quite heavy. The man in front of him was no longer a human, he had been consumed by dark magic and twisted into a demon.</p><p>Earl spoke to Ty in a voice now layered with a demonic echo that could send shivers into a human's heart. "This version of me that you are looking at is a dark spell which enhances the caster through the powers of pure black magic. With the simple exchange of my blood I can make a pact with the demonic spirits to dwell in my body and give me strength. The effects of such a state is dangerous to the body and mind. However I am willing to go as far as I must to end this battle, even if it means giving my humanity to a beast of pure chaos."</p><p>Earl held his hand out and the dark runes peeled off his skin and flew at Ty. The priest sensed the danger of being hit by the markings and sprinted away from them. He jumped and dodged around the demonic runes, making sure that not a single one made contact with his skin. With the flick of his wrist Ty unleashed a blast of Holy magic to repel the markings back to their owner. Snarling at this Earl bit into his thumb and drew blood which turned black with corruption. It took the form of demonic crows which flew around the half-demon man and darted straight at Ty. The priest pulled something out from around his neck and held his fist toward the incoming familiars. It began to glow and suddenly a beam of light turned the flying creatures to ashes. The source of this light seemed to come from the cross necklace that he had around his neck. The Holy magic within had destroyed the demons instantly.</p><p>Earl looked on in shock at what had just happened. "W-what?! What sort of magic did you just use old man?!"</p><p>Ty dangled the cross for his opponent to see. "This magic is far more ancient than you may know. The cross itself is created from a special material that only our order uses. This metal is in our weapons as well, since it is the only material that can hold our blessed power within it. By praying to these crosses for several hours we can enchant it with Holy Light. Every member has one to help in fighting monsters and demons. Unfortunately for you to have demon powers against someone like me is disadvantageous to you. I clearly have an edge over you."</p><p>The man glared at the priest with animistic rage. He slammed his hand onto the ground and a red summoning circle appeared. A large winged lizard demon clawed its way from the earth and roared proudly. Ty leered at the beast as it stomped its way over to him and trying to slash him in two with its claw. The priest held his cross out and a wall of light blocked the demon's strike, causing it to stumble back from the surprising force. Angered the lizard spread its wings and flew over Ty, falling toward him in an attempt to crush him. The priest threw his fist upward and a construct of light, resembling a fist smashed into its gut. The demon was sent flying through the air and on its back.</p><p>Ty made some quick handsigns and held out a hand to the demon. The beast roared in pain as its skin bubbled and hissed. The old man muttered a silent prayer and the entire monster suddenly exploded in a shower of black blood. Earl took a step back in fear at his opponent's power, shocked how he could so easily defeat a high class demon born from the pits of hell. Ty turned to him calmly and began to approach him, seeking to put an end to the battle. The demon instincts in Earl warned him that the priest was preparing on last final attack and so he decided to do the same.</p><p>Particles of mana began to gravitate toward the priest and half demon, entering their bodies and causing their auras of power to rise dramatically. Ty's aura was a bright gold while Earl's was a dark red and purple. The priest held the cross out and an aura of light sprang out of the trinket to form a larger version of it. The demonic man held his hands to his sides and two red orbs appeared within them which were the size of cannonballs. The force of charging these strange techniques kicked out a whirlwind of air and dust, anyone close by to observe the battle would have been blinded by all of it. Even the local animals that exist in the Underworld ran in fear at these two powerful titans. Both priest and demon glared at each other for a long moment, then suddenly they jumped toward each other. They pulled their attacks back and collided with them, a fierce powerstruggle occurring immediately.</p><p>For the beginning of the struggle Earl appeared to be winning, his demonic power slowly pushing the old man back step by step. He grinned wickedly as the priest lost ground. It seemed as if his attack would work until suddenly the man glared up at him. His feet stopped sliding back and he now stood his ground, no matter what Earl did he couldn't move his opponent an inch. He was quickly getting pushed back by the cross weapon, which continued to negate his demonic abilities each time he called on them. Eventually his feet gave out and he stumbled back while attempting to dodge but Ty wouldn't let him. The priest smashed his attack into Earl and the young man was consumed by a pillar of light, shredding away his demon form and sending him falling to the ground. He struggled in and out of consciousnesses. Ty walked over and stared down at him in a faint manner of victory over his opponent, Earl however couldn't see it well. The priest crouched low and spoke softly to his defeated enemy.</p><p>"It seems that I am the victor my friend. You were a strong opponent but unfortunately I have had many years of combat experience which exceeds your own."</p><p>Earl muttered something that Ty was barely able to hear. "Did...I really...Have any chance...Of winning against you?"</p><p>The priest gave him a sad smile. "No. To be perfectly honest with you I held back in our battle, way back. If I had summoned my Partner against you than I'm afraid that you would have been reduced to a pile of smoldering ash. Do not worry, I will not kill you since I am a servant of the lord and he forbids his followers from taking the lives of another human being. On my honor as a <strong>Knight Of The Holy Cross </strong>I could not afford to lose to a demon such as the likes of you. Besides which I still have a role to fulfill before my time is up." He stood to his feet and turned his back on his opponent while continuing to speak. "Those two that you've seen with me before...They have a most interesting fate. I don't quite understand it yet but a vision has told me that those two young people will change this world around them for the better. I must protect them at all cost to see if this is true. Whether they survive through this competition or not is not for me to judge...That job belongs to the Trial.</p><p>"T-Trial?"</p><p>"Basically it will decide whether our world will continue to exist or not. Depending on what those two do it will affect our two worlds drastically. Fate has sired them, now it is up to the two of them to shape it into their own. But that is all I can say on the matter. Goodbye my friend, I hope that we do not cross paths again."</p><p>Ty walked off as Earl finally lost consciousnesses. He stood before the swirling portal with his arms behind his back and looked over the structure. Sensing the presence of multiple approaching souls the priest sat down with his back to the portal and waited for the approaching figures. He knew instantly that they were the companions of the girl he was protecting and was relieved to hear that they were still alive.</p><p>The first to appear were Abelia and Penelope. They both saw the priest sitting and came over to him. Ty nodded his head in greeting to the girls and smiled. "It is every good to see you well my friends. Judging by the state your clothes are in your battles must have been quite fearsome."</p><p>"Indeed. We didn't get out of them without scratches or scars." Answered Abelia, wincing at the pain from her fight with Nai.</p><p>Ty then turned his attention to Penelope. "And I see you have taken to a new look. I am guessing that you have evolved during combat? Great work! Though that outfit is a tad unladylike on you."</p><p>She shrugged. "I certainly didn't choose to wear something like this. Besides it is quite the eye candy isn't it? Leaves a little imagination for all those onlookers out their that we might run into."</p><p>The priest blushed and coughed in embarrassment. "In any event I am glad that you both are all right. I can sense that your souls have grown stronger. Maybe your battles taught you a little more how much pain you can withstand." The two girls chuckled at his small joke.</p><p>From where they had came from Mara and Kuma appeared as well in a very ninja fashion. Kuma was supporting Mara, who was leaning on her shoulder after losing so much energy fighting Lloyd. They noticed the group and limped over to them. Penelope came to help Kuma lower Mara to the ground carefully. Ty came over and began healing him off his fatigue.</p><p>"It is excellent to see you still alive my boy. Though with your Soul Energy so low I'm surprised you still are."</p><p>Mara smirked. "Hey, do you have any idea who I am? I am Mara The Great, the most epic and coolest ninja hero in the world! I'm a master at escaping death, my natural resistance to pain exceeds all others! I am a well oiled pain machine!"</p><p>"I don't know if that's something to really gloat about." Abelia muttered under her breathe.</p><p>"Well nonetheless I am glad you are back with us." The priest said, then turned to Kuma. "You evolved as well eh? Incredible! You have certainly become a warrior worthy of your own craft now."</p><p>Kuma smiled and shook her head. "No, No. I am not anything special. I just did not wish to lose since that man and me are both swordsman and my honor was on the line. A true swordsman shouldn't use his blade to take lives, he or she should protect them. I love to be a swordswoman but I do not relish the killing of an opponent."</p><p>Ty nodded. "A respectable quality indeed young lady."</p><p>"So where are Aero and Fellie? Did they go through the portal?" Asked Mara.</p><p>"Yes. I covered them as they escaped through it. Once we jump through the portal we should be able to meet up with them shortly."</p><p>Abelia crossed her arms under her large chest. "We should get going then. The other contestants are either long gone or waiting to ambush each other. I had quite enough ambushes for one day. Plus I don't want my rival getting to far ahead of me."</p><p>Penelope nodded. "I agree! Let us continue onward!"</p><p>Mara jumped up to his feet energetically and pumped a fist in the air. "Yeah! Our friends need us! Let's go help out!" He glanced at Kuma beside him who tilted her head and pumped her fist with less energy than Mara.</p><p>"Indeed. I wish to help them as well!"</p><p>The priest looked at all the determined faces before him and grinned. He was glad that his two comrades had such loyal friends of their own beside them. These four will never abandon them and as long as they had them the two would always have the strength to fight. He felt slightly jealous of the youths and their deep connections with one another. Though the more he thought about the bond of friendship they had the more he thought that it would be a problem when the two would have to go against the Trial. They would no doubt interfere in his goal. "Very well than everyone! Come along! Let us go meet up with our comrades!"</p><p>Lead by the priest the group entered the portal two at a time. They had no idea what to expect on the other side, all they knew was that their friends were waiting for them. And that itself was almost enough for all of them.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The Realm Of War And The Demon Possessed Boy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; Finally all of our friends were finished battling it out with the enemy. Ty successfully defeated the demonic boy Earl and met up with the others. They met up with one another and have now entered the portal after us. As for us Aero and my have continued to tumble through the infinite blue space for what felt like a lifetime. At last we get to focus attention back to us again!<br/>Aero; About time too! I was getting sick of those idiots hogging the limelight!<br/>Fellie; Hey now! They deserved a chance to have POVs of their own! Even if they did take a very long time to complete...<br/>Aero; Alright enough horsing around. Let's get started princess.<br/>Fellie; Right! Let's continue where we left off!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 15-The Realm Of War And The Demon Possessed Boy</p><hr/><p>Aero and I continued falling through the seemingly infinite blue dimension that made up the portal, tumbling to the next realm of the Competition. We had been falling through for awhile and the terror that I had originally felt died away and was replaced with a form of boredom. I had been in awe of the beautiful colors and scenery for the first few hours but now it all seemed surprisingly old to me. Aero laid himself out while falling with his hands behind his head nonchalantly as if this whole thing wasn't happening. I guessed that he had experience with travelling like this so unlike me he could easily relax inside the space. I hoped that we would reach their destination soon. My prayers however were answered quickly as a portal flashed under us and blinded me, depositing us to where we needed to be.</p><p>I was launched through the hole and hit the ground butt-first. I rubbed my backside in pain but smiled in relief knowing that I had survived that fall with no major injuries. Aero came through next after me. The son of Death landed on his hands and launched himself into the air before landing on his feet with great agility. Scowling at how effortlessly he landed without a scratch I stood to my feet and looked around the new setting of the Underworld. The sky in this realm was gray instead of purple like the first realm, with bits of black in it that resembled smoke. The landscape seemed like a battleground, with the ground cracked and dead looking as well as having large crater holes on it. The trees were shriveled and corpse like, so lifeless that they seemed as if they would snap off their places with little effort. All around the two of us were bits and pieces of what seemed to be civilization. Nearby were the buried remains of building and on our right appeared to be an old, destroyed church. The entire world looked as if it had suffered through the apocalypse, erasing all sense of life and leaving behind a blank wasteland.</p><p>I smelled the air and picked up the scent of soot and gunpowder. If I listened carefully I could hear in the distance the far off sound of explosions and planes flying through the sky. It was like stepping straight into a World War documentary. I had always hated wars for the destruction that it caused innocent people but being this close to it made me feel sick to my stomach. "What is all this? It's like we're in a warzone."</p><p>"That's because we are. This is the Realm of War, one of the most violent of the realms that exist within the Underworld. It contains the souls of those who value chaos and violence. Before it used to be quite a peaceful place but the negative emotions of souls have twisted it into this wasteland. A half-life wouldn't last long out here in this negativity, they'd change into a monster in a matter of seconds." Aero turned to me and raised an eyebrow while tilting his head slightly. "Interesting outfit. I didn't know you could change on the fly."</p><p>"What?" I asked in confusion as I looked down at myself. The long cloak that I had worn had changed into something entirely different. I was now dressed in a white tank top which showed off my belly button with a purple and black longcoat covering my shoulders and buttoned all of the way to my stomach. It slightly hung off me in a way that resembled a black cape. My old jeans had also been replaced with black slacks. Realizing something important I touched my hair and sighed in relief that my skull hairpin was still with me. I noticed Aero still staring at me and covered my exposed stomach and chest in embarrassment. "Ahhhhhhhh! Stop looking at me you idiot!"</p><p>Aero blinked and blushed, quickly averting his gaze elsewhere. "I wasn't looking at anything dammit! I was just surprised that your cloak changed!"</p><p>I tried my best to use the longcoat to cover my half naked upper body. When I was finished I replied to his statement. "I wonder what caused this to happen?"</p><p>"Perhaps it changes depending on the realm to better store more data into itself. The monsters here are different than the ones we encountered previously. I suppose now it can absorb their souls and make more familiars for you."</p><p>I sighed. "So your saying this is gonna happen again? You've got to be kidding me!"</p><p>Aero shrugged. "Come on. We'd better get moving so that we can gain some ground. I'd like to find a safe place where we can meet up with everyone. Plus all this negativity is making me a bit queasy by standing around. It won't affect you so much but it makes it harder to breathe in my case."</p><p>"Alright. I'll follow your lead."</p><p>We began walking straight toward the broken structures that resembled buildings. A strong wind blew past, kicking up sand which flew into our faces constantly and blinded us. In my new attire I could feel the wind on my exposed skin and shivered from its cold. Gritting my teeth through this with my coat held tight around me for warmth I continued to follow Aero, muttering under my breath in annoyance the whole time. We passed the ruined buildings and stepped over craters, shielding our eyes from the dust clouds that would fly into them. Eventually we came to an old broken clock tower where suddenly Aero gestured for me to stop. I gave him a curious look. "What is it?"</p><p>"I sense a presence nearby. Something powerful with a black soul. I don't know if it can sense us but I don't want to give it the time to anyhow. Stay close and behind me."</p><p>He crept forward and I did the same, staying close to him without making a sound. After creeping forward for a few moments I began to hear something that resembled snoring somewhere around us. Well snoring wasn't really accurate. What I was hearing sounded like a chainsaw being started up. We rounded a corner and sighted the creature responsible for the sounds. The monster resembled a giant suit of silver armor, it was as tall as a bus and its body reflected intense light. The head, hands, and feet of the suit were reptilian-like and large bat wings jutted out of its back. The eyes were dim like a deactivated machine yet at times flashed with white light. It inhaled and exhaled slowly with sleep, the chainsaw noise seemed to come from its mouth as if it swallowed it.</p><p>Aero gestured for me to stay close and explained about the monster. "That's called an Golem Dragon. Its a species of dragon made through machines to fight for whoever has their control chips. In this world they are just like the tanks of your realm. This one seems to be in rest mode so maybe we could sneak around it."</p><p>I nodded. "Alright. I sure hope this works."</p><p>We crouched low and crept forward slowly. The beast continued its chainsaw like snoring and didn't move until we had nearly passed it by. That is until a sudden explosion shook the ground. The Golem instantly stood up and scanned its surroundings. Its scanners seemed to sense us and the metal monster turned to us, roaring in anger with flames shooting from its maw. Aero cursed and pushed me behind him before summoning his scythe and preparing for its attack. The Golem launched itself into the air and came down at him, its jaws snapping excitedly.</p><p>The son of Death lunged up to intercept the monster and charged dark energy into his scythe, swinging it into the Golem's side and sending it crashing to the ground. It stood again and slashed at Aero but the boy quickly blocked the attack. He went sliding backwards and the beast followed after him. It swung its tail down at him but the teen dodged and attacked the Golem's back. However the scythe bounced off its armor like it was nothing and one backhand from the Golem sent Aero crashing into the ground. He stood to his feet, forehead bleeding yet ready to continue the fight.</p><p>The Golem took a deep breathe and spouted a stream of flames at the boy. Aero cast a dark shield spell quickly to defend. It began to crack slowly under the pressure of the flames but Aero was determined to keep it up. The attack ended and finally the shield shattered like glass. In anger the metal monster flew at him in an attempt to devour the teen. Aero closed his eyes and began casting a quick spell. <strong>"Souls Of The Damned And Spirits Of Destruction, Come Forth And Serve Me For I Am The Arbiter Of Your Salvation! Corpse Parade!"</strong></p><p>The air grew cold and the ground around him exploded. Skeletal hands burst through the earth and out from it came twelve skeletons dressed in ragged clothes and teeth cackling as if laughing. They formed a protective circle around their summoner and waited for the Golem. The beast swallowed the first few while the others clung to its body, punching and scratching for any breach in the armor's defenses. Aero made a hand sign and suddenly all of the skeletons exploded in purple energy, knocking the Golem to the ground. The teen held his hand to the sky and the scattered skeleton bones came together and merged. They spun faster and faster around eachother and formed into a giant humanoid figure made of bone. The giant has massive fists with claws for fingers which it used to lift the Golem. With its massive strength it tossed the metal beast into a building, causing the structure to collapse on top of it. The bone giant waited for the Golem to claw its way out, the monster's armor was now cracked and oil like blood was leaking from multiple wounds.</p><p>The Golem lunged at the bone giant and locked hands with it, trying to push it back. They struggled against eachother's strength, both sides seeming to have the advantage and yet failing. The Golem suddenly sank its fangs into the giant's shoulder and released itself from the struggle. It slammed its tail into the giant and the creature was sent flying with ease. It stood up and smashed its fist into the enemy's face, knocking the Golem fifty feet backwards. The Golem shrieked and a magic circle began to orbit behind its back. The beast opened its maw and fired a beam of white light at the bone giant, piercing through its body and causing the creature to explode in a shower of bone. The Golem then turned its attention on Aero again and barreled towards him like a train. Aero held out his hands to the monster and conjured dark magic into them. The Golem suddenly stopped in its tracks and couldn't move.</p><p>A wicked smirk appeared on Aero as he lifted his hands and the Golem with it. The teen began to slowly draw his hands in toward his center and whatever force that was holding the monster began to crush and break it apart. I was left in shock as the Golem shrieked in pain as its body crushed in on itself. When the deed was done the creature now resembled a crushed soda can, the lights in its eyes were out and its jaw was unhinged. A grey soul flew out of its body and into Aero's palm who looked at it with mild confusion. "A lonely soul? Haven't seen one of those in a while. Normally souls of sloth become monsters like those. Oh well, you'll become one with me now." He ate the soul and absorbed it into himself.</p><p>I walked over to him and studied him carefully. For a moment the boy's soul had became dark and lonely as if devoid of emotion. It was exactly like when I had sensed his soul after his evolution. He seemed to be fine now but I had to be sure first.</p><p>He noticed my look and glared at me. "What is it princess? Do I have something on my face?"</p><p>"No I was just...You feel...Nevermind." I decided to drop the subject for now and turned away. I could feel Aero's stare on me but he remained silent. The two of us walked on past the clock tower and continued on our way. Once again I was subjected to the cold breeze on my bare skin but I was too busy thinking about Aero to notice. I didn't understand why he had gotten like that but whenever he did it terrified me. I didn't know Aero very well and had accepted the fact that he was just using me to get what he wanted but I was starting to wonder if partnering with him was such a good idea after all. Sure Aero was powerful, intelligent, and a great fighter but he was cold and showed no remorse over the creatures that he killed. I knew that it was to protect us both but at the same time it didn't feel natural. I would just have to have faith that he wouldn't turn on me or any of our other allies.</p><p>We passed more ruined and destroyed buildings. The sound of airplanes filled the sky and the faint scent of gunpowder constantly polluted my nostrils. While we walked I used the tool given to me from the Grim Reaper to send our location to our friends in case they had already gotten through the portal so that we could meet up at a specific place. The two of us had gotten pretty far and I didn't want to lose our friends to this vast wasteland.</p><p>Then all of a sudden I heard a faint ringing nearby. It got louder the more we walked. The sound reminded me of a church bell ringing. I stopped and Aero did as well, looking at me curiously. He asked why I stopped and so I turned to him.</p><p>"Why is their a church bell ringing?"</p><p>Aero tilted his head and listened. "Don't know. I've never really been to this place so I had no idea there was a church. That's going to attract a lot of monsters. We should avoid it."</p><p>I felt something buzz in my pocket and pulled out the map device. On it in white writing was an arrow that seemed to have been pointing towards the direction of the church bell. The highlighted words had <strong>Rare Monster </strong>written below it. I remembered that the Grim Reaper had said that there were special monsters that if defeated would give each Soul Master extra points and experience. And although this seemed dangerous I was also interested in seeing what this was about. We could get extra points than perhaps we would have a better chance at increasing Aero's strength further and I could gain new spells to support him.</p><p>"Hey, I think we should go. Whatever is over there could give us a lot of points if we can beat it and that could make our journey a lot easier."</p><p>My partner gave me a sidelong look. "Look I'm all for a fight and everything but I won't get involved in anything that's one sided. Who knows how strong this rare monster is? We could be put in bad situation if I have to fight and keep you safe at the same time, especially if one of us were to get injured. Do you really want to go through with that?"</p><p>I thought over what he said for a moment. Then eventually I nodded. "Yes I do."</p><p>Aero shrugged. "Fine. Not like I can stop you since you can basically force me to do almost whatever you want by our soul contract. Just don't come crying to me if the beast is too much for the two of us to handle alone."</p><p>We then began to follow the source of the church bell's ringing. The sounds of shouting and gunfire could be heard far out into the desert. I was happy that it was so far away since it definitely didn't sound like anything friendly. Aero had cast a concealing spell on us to hide our presence from monsters but I was always nervous whenever we would pass by one or a large group of monsters of various shapes and sizes. I kept my guard up just in case something went wrong. Finally the church came into view.</p><p>Half of it had been buried underground and had collapsed in on itself. The other half was still standing with both doors of the entrance still there but were cracked and old. Above was the ringing bell which had finally slowed down until it eventually stopping altogether. As I got closer to the holy building I could hear a faint sound resembling a person humming coming from within the Church itself. Curiously I approached the old doors and pushed on them where I was surprised to see that they swung open without much resistance. Aero walked beside me and we exchanged a quick look. Finally with him in the lead we entered the ruined Church.</p><p>As soon as we had entered I suddenly felt an ominous pressure bare down on me and was making my body heavy like gravity. The pressure was extremely malevolent and the amount of murderous intent that I was sensing behind it chilled my spine. But despite this insidious pressure Aero moved forward like nothing was happening, which prompted me to do the same for fear of being left behind in this madness. Soon we came to the main room which seemed normal at first glance. Then suddenly I heard the humming again and tensed myself, searching for the source of the noise.</p><p>When we located the source I was surprised with what I saw. A teenage boy was slumped over the altar with his back to us, his head down as if he were praying. He had a young face with short wavy light brown hair that formed bangs on both sides of his face that slightly covered his eyes. The boy wore a long sleeved blue sweater with a pure white undershirt showing and blue torn jeans with grey sneakers. He was unbelievably slender with only a slight muscle tone that made it seem as if he hadn't eaten in a while. It was crazy that this scrawny boy had generated the pressure from before but I could definitely feel a dangerous aura around this person. We needed to be careful around him.</p><p>The two of us slowly approached the boy, prepared for any sign that he would suddenly turn around and attack. Instead the boy suddenly spoke in a timid and light yet clear voice. "Do you ever wonder what heaven is like?"</p><p>Instantly we stopped in our tracks. We didn't answer the boy's question but he continued talking all the same. "Is there really a paradise up there, ready to accept all humans in no matter the sin? Is there really a blessing that can take us all away from the mad world we live in now? Is there even a chance...For someone like me to go up there?"</p><p>"I've done so many things in the past. I lied, killed for the sake of others. I was treated as a tool all of my life. I did what others told me without question because I didn't understand what I was. A tool is all I ever had been to people. I...My past has been nothing but torture, pain, and endless death. Please tell me...Is there really an escape from all of pain that I caused?"</p><p>We continued to be silent for a moment. I felt sad for this person for some reason as he vented his heart out. He continued in the same sad tone but this time with a bit of strength in it. "I don't really know if there is or not but I'd like to believe it. All my life I always believed that there is an afterlife out there that will accept all of us regardless of our sins. Even when I was tortured by my father and forced to become his experiment that killed at his leisure. He took the life of my little brother and mother all for his research. I...Can't give up though...I-I have to bring him back, even if I have to become a monster to do it!"</p><p>I approached the boy without thinking and crouched him. I reached out slowly to touch his shoulder. He seemed to smile at first at the contact and turned to me a little. I bit back a cry of horror as I saw that his face was covered in blood. "W...Who's blood is that?"</p><p>He wiped some of it off his face and stared at the substance as if just registering it. "Oh this? Don't worry it's not mine. Some people came here before you did. They weren't very nice...So they were punished. I left them over there were all the trash end up." He pointed off to the right and I looked past it before almost vomiting. The dead and mutilated bodies of many humans were laid out in a pile and were emitting a foul rotting odor that made my eyes water. I had to force myself to look away and focus my attention on the deranged teen. How could he talk about murdering people so nonchalantly?</p><p>The boy explained. "They came here like you demanding what the source of some signal was all about. I told them it was me but they just laughed. One of them was a girl...I think that I'm supposed to find on of those. I asked if she were the one that I was searching for but she yelled at me. They got hostile after that and I had no choice but to devour them. After that I knew that she wasn't the one that I was ordered to find."</p><p>Warning bells rung in my mind as I heard that. Carefully but somehow already knowing the answer I asked him anyway. "What type of girl are you searching for?"</p><p>The boy tilted his head as if thinking. "She said that this girl is a really kind person. Oh and brave...Brave enough to enter a dangerous place like this without a second thought of the consequences. She's really slender too I think and very pretty. And her soul has a sort of fragrance to it, like its sickly sweet or something. Kinda like you do I suppose."</p><p>"Tell me the name of this person who told you to find this girl."</p><p>The teen smiled and fully turned to me. "Why my "Mistress" that's who."</p><p>Suddenly I felt Aero grab the back of my collar and yanked me back as something sliced through the air where my head was a moment ago. I stumbled back while Aero stood in front of me protectively with his scythe out. The boy was now standing with a black sword in his left hand. I wondered where he had hidden it but suddenly remembered that I had seen some shadows shift near his hand before he had struck. Somehow he had conjured up a blade of pure shadows. If Aero hadn't pulled me back I'd be dead right now.</p><p>The boy made a sound in his throat like a groan while looking at the ground. "Oh no we missed. I wanted to end it immediately since she's a girl. I really hate violence especially to girls."</p><p>Aero listened to his words carefully. "We?"</p><p>The teen nodded with his head over his shoulder. Suddenly on the ground his shadow seemed to slowly pull itself up from the earth. It stood up and two circular white eye sockets appeared where eyes would normally be. It's lower face stretched and tore until it now had a white maw resembling a shark. The shadow look-alike leaned across the boy's shoulder and stared at us, licking it's lips with a pure white tongue.</p><p>"What tasty looking morsels we have here. Not like those other weaklings that we slaughtered I bet. This should actually be fun!"</p><p>The boy shook his head. "We can't devour them. The Mistress said we need to bring the pretty girl to her alive. But she also said that she can fight and I don't know how to handle that. I can't fight pretty girls..."</p><p>The creature struck the teen in the back of his head. "I know that dumbass! But she didn't say we had to bring that guy did she? We can kill him. So just focus on him!"</p><p>The boy smiled at this. "So I can just kill the guy right? Shouldn't be too difficult..." His smile quickly turned to a frown. "But wait...If we kill him then she'll fade away back to the human world won't she? The Mistress wouldn't like letting her go."</p><p>"Then we beat the guy up without killing him and wait until we bring them to her. She should know how to counter the Reaper's magic. After that we get to eat him!" Snarled the shadow.</p><p>Aero was getting tired of the nonstop dialogue between the two and finally shouted to get their attention. "Hey freakshow! Let's get this over with already! I haven't got all day!"</p><p>They looked over at him with blank expressions. Then the creature smiled wickedly. "I like the way this guy thinks! Let's hurry up and end him then!"</p><p>The boy nodded and the shadow went back into the ground. He tilted his head as if confused and snapped his fingers. "Oh I completely forgot to introduce myself! I'm Riley and that guy is my little brother Abyss. Good to meet you both...I guess."</p><p>"I don't give a damn about what your name is! If you get in my way I'll end you just like all the rest!"</p><p>I shouted at him. "Don't hurt him Aero! I don't think he really wants to do this! I'm sure he's just being manipulated! I felt it when I was close to him!"</p><p>Aero glared over his shoulder at me. "How can you sympathize with someone who just tried to kill you? Besides until I know his abilities I can't promise you anything about not hurting him.</p><p>The two opponents glared at each other for a short time. Then finally they charged one another, the intent to kill radiating off of them both equally.</p><p>Aero blocked the boy's first slash and deflected the next. He twirled his scythe at Riley's legs so the teen jumped back to avoid it. He stabbed at Aero but the son of Death knocked it away and smashed the butt of his scythe into his face. The boy fell to the ground like a sack and held his face in pain. Aero backed away with a confused expression on his face. "What the hell? He's super weak. I barely felt anything in his attacks and I know I didn't hit him that hard to knock him down. This kid is a wimp."</p><p>The teenage boy stood to his feet again and clumsily came at Aero again. My partner easily evaded Riley's attack and elbowed him in the back of his head, knocking the boy face first into the ground. He stood again but didn't attack, instead his eyes were frantically looking around in all directions. Aero didn't know what he would do next so he stayed on guard just in case. The boy may have been weak but his unpredictable nature made him dangerous to underestimate. Riley turned away from Aero and started talking to an invisible person. "What are you talking about? I am giving it my best...He's stronger than the others! ...Yes I know but I don't know how to deal with someone like this. Give you control? But...Yeah alright. But try not to kill the girl. I don't want to disappoint mistress."</p><p>The boy turned toward Aero and began emitting an ominous chaotic energy from his form. His eyes suddenly changed into a crimson red and he smiled creepily while beckoning Aero with his sword. The son of Death, surprised by the sudden change in Riley, tensed himself for an attack. The strange teen lunged for Aero and assaulted him with rapid high speed stabs and slashes but they were all avoided by the Reaper gracefully. He cut down at Riley with a killing strike to his neck but instead of intercepting it the boy allowed it to connect. I was about to cry out to Aero but then I saw something that was unbelievable. The blade of his scythe hadn't cut him like I had thought, it hadn't even broken through his skin with not a single drop of blood visible. Somehow the boy's body was extremely hard, almost similar to steel.</p><p>Aero backed away just as the boy went to counterattack with a stab. The Reaper cut at his stomach but the scythe's blade on again bounced off Riley's abdomen with ease. Aero gritted his teeth and kicked him in the chest to knock him off balance. He barely stumbled a few inches. It was almost like he had kicked a fridge with how much weight seemed to be behind the boy. Riley came at him again with a swift sword thrust but using his scythe Aero was able to deflect it away from his body. He sliced an arc across the boy's chest but nothing happened besides his clothes getting ripped diagonally from the sharp edge. The scrawny teen jabbed and slashed at Aero's head and the Reaper was forced to exchange blows with him to avoid injury.</p><p>Eventually Riley's blindingly swift stabs began to give ground on Aero's defense. He went for one last stab to his opponent's abdomen but Aero narrowly avoided the lethal move and headbutted Riley with all his strength. The boy's legs buckled beneath him and he fell to his knees, holding his bruised head in pain. Aero smirked at what damage he was able to do to the boy before rubbing his own head in slight pain. Riley glared at him with a blank expression before yelling at the top of his lungs like a wild animal. The scream could be heard for miles and both Aero and I had to cover our ears to block out the horrible sound.</p><p>An ominous black aura began to pool out of the boy's body and cover him like a miniature twister. Faint tremors shook the ground under our feet and around Riley as well. He held out his sword and it started to vibrate, slowly at first but going faster and faster as the seconds went by. Smiling wickedly, Riley scrapped the blade against the ground. As soon as it made contact the sword cut a long gash into the marble floor and caused the area around it to crack and tremble as if hit by an earthquake. Aero noticed this and got into a defensive stance. Riley glared at him for a long moment, then charged with his sword in a lower stance.</p><p>Aero reacted instantly, sidestepping the first attack. The next came swiftly and he managed to block that. However the contact that his scythe made with the sword was not expected. The energy around the sword bit deeper into his weapon and the intense vibrations were increasing the blade's power. Plus as the boy began to push it closer to Aero's throat I began to hear a buzzing sound similar to that of a saw. Actually to me the blade was like one long straight chainsaw, a tool that could do serious damage to a person if it connected to human skin. Using his back muscles the Reaper held firm and forced the blade away from him. Riley swung out at his legs but Aero jumped in the air to avoid it. The boy followed him and they began to exchange attacks in midair.</p><p>Aero gained the advantage and sent the teen crashing to the ground with a mighty swing. He landed gracefully on his feet and ran toward the place where his opponent had fallen. Riley crawled to his feet and blocked Aero's slash with so much force that a shockwave shook the church. I watched in awe as the two duelists fought so fast that their weapons blurred and seemed as if their arms were moving on there own. Finally Riley surprised Aero with a sudden feint before slashing upward with his sword. The tip cut through Aero's hoodie and into his flesh, sending blood splattering into the air. Aero cried out in pain and stumbled back, clutching his wound to stop the bleeding.</p><p>"Aero!"</p><p>"I'm fine!" He said without looking at me. Normally a minor injury like that wouldn't have been a problem for him being a Reaper. However whatever evil magic that radiated from the blade only seemed to increase his pain. It would a slow pain of course, but for now it wasn't healing as it usually did.</p><p>Cursing, Aero charged at the boy once again. They exchanged swift attacks with their weapons before gaining some distance from one another. Aero had switched to deflecting Riley's attacks with his scythe to avoid another injury instead of attacking. The insane boy slashed his sword at him and unleashed a purple shockwave which Aero barely avoided, though his arm still had gotten hit and was bleeding profusely. Riley pulled his blade back to do another one but this time Aero wasn't going to let it hit him. The Reaper charged his energy into his scythe and prepared to unleash his own move.</p><p>I could feel a massive shift of magical energy in the battle between the two boys. Although I knew that Aero had the edge in skill and raw magical power I noted that Riley's concentration was more controlled than that of my partner. Even now he focused his energy calmly while Aero charged his up to the max. He must have been planning to one shot his opponent with his next attack. However I could see that the effort of concentrating and the magical power that he was emitting was taking a toll on Aero and his slowly regenerating wounds. He seemed to be breathing heavily and was struggling under the weight of magic behind his scythe. I wondered if Riley's sword had a special ability to it that was draining Aero's magic power through the cuts on his body. If so this last attack meant that Aero would run completely out of mana. That would be dangerous and from his expression I could tell that Aero had been thinking on the same lines that I had been.</p><p>I had to find a way to distract Riley. To stall or end the fight before one of them got killed. If I could get just get close to Riley without getting killed in the process than maybe I could use a spell that I had recently learned to immobilize the boy and force a link between us. The plan was stupid of course and no doubt Aero would hate it but it was the only thing that I could think of that would stop the two boys and get them out of this battle alive. Besides...I still felt a twinge of pity for Riley and I didn't want to hurt him or see him get hurt anymore. I would find a way to stop him without taking his life.</p><p>I readied myself as I would only have one chance at executing my plan. Aero and Riley stood across from eachother with their spells ready to be unleashed. After a few moments of glaring at one another they finally jumped toward the other with their weapons reared back. Both boys swung their weapons and an explosion of darkness cracked through the entire building. Quickly I dashed forward into the smoke before either boy had time to recover. Hidden under the cover of the smoke I managed to approach a surprised Riley and grabbed his face. Then focusing my energy into a shroud around me, I slammed my forehead into his and let my magical power flow into him. Aero noticed this and shouted for me to move away but I ignored him. My consciousnesses slowly began to fade and I found myself entering the insane boy's mind.</p><p>All around me was nothing but a crimson red void. It was appeared to be endless and contained no sound beside that of water dripping somewhere far off. I looked down at my feet and saw that I was standing above a vast red ocean of what I had thought was water but now I saw with horror was actually blood. Using all of my willpower I looked away and began to walk forward on the sea of red cautiously. I didn't know where I was going but I could feel a life force somewhere ahead of me so I went toward it. After a while of walking I began to hear the faint sound of crying, which was a relief to me after spending almost twenty minutes walking through this soundless place. I quickly rushed after the sound.</p><p>Eventually I came to the source of the crying which turned out was Riley himself. He was curled up in a ball with his arms around his knees and his body shaking in fear. The boy didn't seem to acknowledge my presence at all as I walked toward him. Suddenly my vision was blinded by a flash and a sharp stab of pain exploded into my mind. I took a step back in a recoil while trying to clear my aching head. I had seen something in that flash that had surprised me and that I couldn't explain. I tried to move closer to Riley and another wave of pain pierced my mind. This time I clearly saw images of a room resembling a hospital or a laboratory. Inaudible voices could be heard and a loud shriek filled my ears. The vision stopped again and I found myself staring down at the boy with concern.</p><p>"Did you...Just show me a memory? Something from your past? Please tell me what happened to you! Maybe I can fix it! I could..."</p><p>Suddenly a voice boomed all around me. "Fix it? Fix what happened to us? Do you really think you could mend our pain?! You have no idea what we had to go through! Don't talk like you understand us you stupid girl!"</p><p>The surface of the blood sea in front of me started to ripple and bubble violently. A bloody clawed hand tore through the surface and began to drag itself up from the sea. After the hands then came the arms which were as thin as tree branches, and after that came the head of a vicious monster. It resembled a hybrid of a wolf and alligator with rows of razor sharp black teeth which formed a menacing evil smirk. Next came his massive hairy body and muscular legs. The creature had white slits for eyes that paralyzed me with terror. Overall the creature looked like a massive red werewolf. Just looking him over made me want to run far away. I felt like an animal before a predator just before being slaughtered.</p><p>The beast crossed his arms over his chest while still grinning. When it spoke I could hear the voice of the demon that was named Abyss from before. "I can smell your terror. Its so fresh and sweet. I won't allow you to play mind games with my vessel, only I am allowed that fun. So I'm going to devour you here, where your soul will remain in this lifeless hell forever."</p><p>"Y-You can't k-keep holding him here! I don't know what happened to him but this boy deserves his freedom! He isn't a puppet to be controlled by you, he's a human being!" I replied after working up my nerves.</p><p>"Oh is that so? Well little missy I've been the only one with him from the very beginning. You don't even understand the hell we went through together, the torment and horrifying experiments that we suffered through day after day...We were in constant pain and agony...We despaired for so long. We had to learn to survive on our own, relying on one another the way only siblings should. The two of us killed to feed so I could get strong enough that no one would ever walk over again. Riley had no friends besides me and I won't let you ruin what I built with him. The Mistress may not be a friend but she was the only one to give us a chance to change our lives for the better! Going against her orders suck but I'll do whatever it takes to keep him safe along with myself! So prepare yourself lady...Because your soul is about to be mine!"</p><p>With that the red beast lunged at me with his claws out to rip me to shreds. Instinctively I channeled magic into my legs and used it to launch myself away from the demon just in time. He took another massive swing at me but I held out my hand and erected a barrier around myself to take the blow instead. However the force behind the attack made me slide backward a few inches from the demon. The demon pounced and ripped the barrier apart with ease before moving to do the same to me. Conjuring my magical sword I blocked the first attack and parried the next. I slashed my blade through the beast's arm and quickly blew it back with a controlled fireball explosion. He caught himself quickly before charging me again.</p><p>I jumped away from the monster's scything teeth and tried to do a spin kick on him. The demon however caught my foot in a tight grip and threw me to the right like a rag doll. I skipped across the red ocean like a stone before rolling to a stop on my back. When I tried to get to my feet out of nowhere a hand burst from beneath the water and caught my wrist. I pulled and struggled but it wouldn't let go and began to slowly pull me downward. Another hand grabbed my other arm to stop me from struggling. Then came another two which gripped my left and right legs. One wrapped around my waist while another got a hold of the back of my head. Fear consumed me as I was pulled closer and closer toward the red water. The demon walked toward me and laughed at my terror.</p><p>"You wanted to understand Riley correct? Then you shall have your wish. Try to find his memories beneath the sea of madness. The more you fight the deeper you'll go. I wonder how long will you be able to survive down there. Just know that once you give in your psyche and spirit will become one with the ocean, never to return again!"</p><p>After those words I was pulled completely under the red waves and down into what could only be described as madness itself. I couldn't see, couldn't breathe, and couldn't hear a thing. My head swarmed with emotions of neglect, hopelessness, and despair. Cries and wails tore away my nerves and made it impossible for me to think straight. I wanted to give up, to just let the torment end, to let it all slip away. Then surprisingly within the ocean, I began to hear strange voices.</p><p>I couldn't make out what they were saying at first. But as I was pulled down even further the words became clearer and I could understand them.</p><p>"He's unpredictable sir. If we continue with these tests who knows what could happen to the boy's mind."</p><p>"I don't very much care about his mind. All I need are results doctor."</p><p>Suddenly a image flashed into my mind and I found myself in what appeared to be a large white room. I studied my surroundings and found that I wasn't alone. Two men were in front of me staring through a grey glass window. The man on the left was short and had dark skin and a bald head. He wore a white lab coat and leather pants with dark green boots and glasses over his eyes. The taller man beside him had neatly cut light brown hair like Riley did and a shaved beard of the same color. He wore a similar lab coat but with white cuffed pants and black boots. Their attention was fully on what was through the glass and I moved closer to see what they were watching, praying that the men wouldn't notice my presence.</p><p>Looking down through the glass was a small square room. It was once white but now the walls were stained with blood and the floor was littered with...Bizarre inhuman creatures. In the center of these corpses was a younger Riley, covered in blood and panting heavily in exhaustion. He was dressed in a white jumpsuit with no shoes and his hands cuffed behind his back. The boy's head was down but when he looked up at the glass his eyes were dead and blank.</p><p>The man with glasses spoke again to his companion. "But sir, what you're purposing is something that was never attempted before. If we perform the procedure incorrectly then the boy could die."</p><p>The brown haired man shook his head. "That is a risk that I am willing to take for eternal life."</p><p>"But he is your son!"</p><p>The man gave his bald companion a cold glare, one close enough to be considered murderous. The shorter man looked away as the taller one spoke in an emotionless tone. "I am well aware of that Dr. Ester. But I have given up on any form of blood connection between the boy and myself, both of them. They no longer matter to me...Only she does. I must learn how to create an immortal being no matter what. It's the only way I can atone for my crime."</p><p>"Now, do as I say. Bring the other subject in."</p><p>A door opened in the room and out came a medium square cage wheeled by a cautious man in a protective suit. In the cage appeared to be a human figure but when it got wheeled into the light it was far from human. The creature's skin was inky black and tar-like, oozing onto the cage floor like a waterfall and flowing back into it's body. The creature had golden eyes that darted around the room in fear like a frightened animal. It was wheeled to a stop a few feet from the young Riley who looked at it blankly at first before seeming to recognize the creature. He stood up and tried to move toward it but the cuffs were chained to the ground, preventing him from doing so. He began to scream and cry but the sounds were muffled by the glass that the two men were behind.</p><p>The tall man looked at both children without pity and raised his hand. "Commence the experiment."</p><p>The door to the cage opened and the ooze creature inside crawled out of it on all fours like an animal. Riley tried to move away from him but the cuffs keep him restricted. The creature growled at the youth before rushing toward him. When they collided the creature's body exploded and covered Riley's body like a smokescreen. He was completely hidden in it with muffled screams being barely heard through the glass window. The two men waited patiently for the black smoke to disappear. When it did Riley was lying face down on the ground with wisps of black mist coming from his body and crackling with purple energy.</p><p>The tall man clenched his fists and shook his head in anger. "Dammit! It failed! How could it have failed?! No, that isn't entirely accurate...The procedure merely combined the two aspects of the boys together, merging their souls into one vessel."</p><p>"But isn't that a good thing? This means that they will not die easily. After all the data on the subject did say he possessed the ability to harden his body to almost extraordinary levels." Said the bald man.</p><p>His companion pinched between his eyes in an attempt to calm himself. "What I wanted was to create a being that could not be killed, not one who is semi-indestructible. My goal in this entire project was finding the key to immortality. It is the only way...The only chance I have to redeem myself."</p><p>He turned around and began to walk away. "Clearly it is the fault of this facility and it's mediocre staff. It is not advanced enough to suit my needs. This whole experiment was a waste of my time and resources. I must find a suitable laboratory with greater resources. I must not fail."</p><p>"What about the children?"</p><p>"What about them?" The tall man responded with a wave of the hand. "I have no further use for those failures. I need much stronger souls. Do whatever you'd like with them."</p><p>Then he left without a glance at the man or his unconscious son. Suddenly the surroundings shifted and I found myself in a dark cell. It was completely pitch black so I couldn't make out anything but little light outside the cell. Wondering why I was here I prepared to explore the tiny room until a sharp voice caught my attention nearby. I turned my head toward the sound and was met with a young Riley sitting with his arms hugging his knees. His eyes were blank and empty like that of a doll. The clothes he wore were literally rags and his face was dotted with dried blood. The demon from before named Abyss appeared from the shadows and spoke to him.</p><p>"I can't believe those asshats didn't feed me today! I'm so hungry I can eat five horses!"</p><p>"We already did before..." Riley replied in a bland tone.</p><p>"Well I'd like to do it again. How can they expect us to work if we don't eat anything? I think we should teach them a lesson, don't you big brother?" Abyss asked with a cocky smirk however it turned to a frown when Riley shook his head.</p><p>"You know that we can't do that. They'll hurt us again...We should just do what they say."</p><p>Abyss gripped the boy's skull in anger. "And how long have you gone without eating huh? I can sense how weak you are. Don't you want some nice tasty monster flesh to munch on? I know how much you like to drink the blood. Ironic isn't it since you used to gag and vomit over it. Don't you want that taste in you again?"</p><p>The boy looked at his wrist and brought it up to his mouth. He bit deeply into it with barely a wince of pain. Then to my disgust he began to suck on the wound and drink his own blood. Abyss looked on in repulsion until his brother had stopped. Riley smiled weakly at him and closed his eyes. "Mmm, tastes just as good."</p><p>Abyss snarled at him and began to fade away. His last words being "You're pathetic." Riley turned away and hugged his knees again in complete silence.</p><p>Everything shifted once again and I found myself going through more of Riley's memories. Memories of his fear, his hatred and anger, his depression, and memories of his loneliness. Finally I found myself in a memory involving a twelve year old Riley walking among a line of other emotionless children. They stood before a man in black who was instructing them in combat. The children would pair up with one another and stand apart in order to spar.</p><p>Riley was pitted against a tall young man with pale skin and a near shaved head. The boy had razor sharp claws and fangs as well as clumps of hair on his slighty build arms. Riley had his black sword in his right hand and stood away from him with apathy. The pale young man growled at him and lowered himself into a crouch, poised to lunge at his opponent. Riley slightly moved his sword to a left position just as the man pounced toward him with blinding speed.</p><p>The man slashed at him with his claws but Riley blocked it with ease though still slid back from the force behind the blow. He attacked wildly at the boy while the teen intercepted every one of his strikes. Annoyed at how easily his onslaught was being battled by him the man leapt behind Riley and tried to stab his back. Riley didn't move as the sharp claws slammed into his spine. His opponent smiled, thinking he had finished the boy off. However to his utter shock Riley turned slightly toward him and savagely sliced off the young man's arm.</p><p>The man screamed in agony and clutched his stump of an arm to stop the bleeding. Riley raised his sword for another attack but the pale man jumped back to create distance between them. He kept low to the ground to see if he could find a way past Riley's defense. The teen tilted his head in what appeared to be curiosity at what he was up to. Suddenly the man appeared beside Riley in a blur, shooting his remaining claws toward the boy's neck. Riley dodged and struck but his foe had already made sure to get far away after the first attempt at a killing blow. He continued this tactic, using his great speed and agility to get into Riley's blind spots to deal a death blow.</p><p>Unfortunately for him the boy evaded or blocked every attack that came his way though he couldn't exactly attack either. The man swung his leg at Riley but he swiftly jumped back just in time. Riley then countered with his own thrust but his opponent evaded it as well. The man went for his throat with his remaining hand with a sadistic grin. Riley glanced at him and to my surprise he twirled around the attack until he was completely behind his shocked opponent. The teen pulled his sword back and took off his opponent's head in one swing, watching as it bounced a few times on the ground before coming to a stop. The man's body walked around like a headless chicken for a few seconds before dropping at Riley's feet.</p><p>The man in black strolled over to Riley and put a hand on his shoulder with a smile. The boy looked up at him blankly before staring down at the body before him with cold eyes.</p><p>The scene changed once more and I saw that it was now night. I looked around and noticed Riley who was running through a forest of oak trees. His face and clothes were torn and matted with fresh blood and he was scrapped up from head to toe. The sounds of boots crushing leaves could be heard behind him and I saw the boy increase his pace desperately to escape.</p><p>Riley leapt over fallen branches and tree roots that threatened to trip him over. He picked up speed with each passing second, something that a normal person could never do but he made look easy. The teen looked for a hiding place to escape his pursuers. Eventually his eyes fell on a hollowed out tree with a hole in its bottom just big enough to squeeze a young body through and hid there. He clasped a hand over his mouth as his pursuers came closer to his position. The sound of voices and running figures sprinted by his hiding place, leaving the boy completely alone.</p><p>Riley sighed in relief and crawled out of the hole in a crouched position. He walked away from where the figures had went and headed towards the west. The teen didn't go very far before Abyss materialized from his shadow with a wicked grin on his face.</p><p>"Ah, finally we are free! It's been so long since I saw the outside world! Freedom really is the best ya know?!"</p><p>Riley gave him an annoyed glare. "Keep your voice down. They could still be around."</p><p>"I can't help myself. We can finally do what we want now. No more orders and no more experiments. We can finally go on a feeding frenzy!" Replied Abyss, who smacked his partner in the back of the head casually.</p><p>The teen looked out towards the facility that they had called home for so long. It must have been strange to be outside of it now but it didn't seem like Riley regretted it. "It's just weird that that blackout just suddenly happened out of no where. It's as if someone cut the power on purpose and gave us the chance to just wander out."</p><p>Gritting his teeth Abyss struck Riley on the head again. "Don't question it idiot! We're out now and you know what that means? No more tests, no more torture, no more suffering. We get to do whatever we want now. You can go wherever you want!"</p><p>"Wherever I want to go?"</p><p>It sounded so foreign to him. For as long as he could remember he had always been told what to do, all forms of defiance from him being crushed with immediate retaliation a long time ago. Riley looked down at his shaking hand and remembered why he had been subjected to this horrible life to begin with. The face of his father entered his mind, his condescending eyes looking down on him, his cold voice sending chills down his spine. And as he looked back at the past one memory flashed into his mind. The night that his mother had been killed and the torment his brother went through as he became a demon. Clenching his fist in pure hate and rage Riley turned his eyes toward Abyss.</p><p>"You and I are going to get our revenge. We'll kill the man who murdered our mother. As long as we are together, no one will stand in our way!"</p><p>Abyss looked at his partners hateful eyes. He smirked at them, glad that his spineless brother finally gained a backbone of his own.</p><p>"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go and and give him a taste of the same hell that he gave us!"</p><p>The world shifted again and I found myself in a large mahogany room. Before me was a oak table with two velvet chairs across from one another. Behind that was a large rectangular window, showing off the clear blue sky in the background. Seated at one of the two chairs around the table was Riley who was now wearing a blue sweater and blue jeans. He looked a lot more clean and his hair was neatly trimmed. The boy's fingers traced across the table nervously as he faced the other occupant.</p><p>This figure could not be seen in the shadows of the room but I could obviously tell that it was a girl. The only thing I could make out of her appearance wise was a blue hospital gown and pale white hands. Standing next to the female was another figure that could be seen more clearly. It was a tall man dressed as a butler, with short black hair and piercing red eyes. The man was handsome but he to radiate a sort of supernatural beauty that seemed like it could purposelessly draw people toward him. He placed a cup of tea in front of the girl and another in front of Riley before standing once again at her side.</p><p>The girl took a long sip from her cup. Riley watched her cautiously as he took the cup as well and drank it. He looked at it in pure pleasure before downing the cup all of the way. The girl laughed at his actions.</p><p>"It appears that you haven't had a good drink in a long time. I've seen stray dogs do similar when water is presented to in front of them."</p><p>Riley looked up at her then quickly looked away. "We...Haven't been treated well by people. They ignored me whenever I begged and we had to drink from rain puddles and ponds. I got...Sick often because of it."</p><p>She nodded in understanding. "I understand your hardships. It was a miracle that we found you out in the garden or you may have died from dehydration. I promise that will not happen to you again."</p><p>"You won't be able to change that." The boy replied with his head down. "Humans always looked down on us and took what we had. As long as we are out here in this cruel world that will never change."</p><p>This made the girl become silent for a long time. Riley glanced briefly at her in concern. When she spoke next her voice was full of hope. "What if I told you that you are wrong about that?"</p><p>Riley's eyes met hers for a quick second. "What do you mean?"</p><p>The girl stirred her cup with a spoon before replying. "I know that you are not as fragile as you appear. According to my butler Selene you put up quite the struggle when he tried to bring you in to see me. You left a visible cut on his arm that still has not fully healed. And Selene was very impressed by your skills as well. It is rare for him to have such difficulty against an opponent, more so being wounded by one. Such skills are hard to find in our world. You could prove most useful to me."</p><p>"Our world? What are you talking about?" Riley asked in confusion.</p><p>The girl sighed. "My apologizes. I let it slip my mind that you probably do not know about the existence of other worlds and the secrets that lay hidden within our own. I assumed that as a Soul Master you would have already discovered these things on your own."</p><p>The teen was silent for a long moment but the girl waited patiently for his response. When he did it was in a gentle tone. "What is a Soul Master?"</p><p>"Excellent question!" She replied with what I could be guess was a bright smile. "Allow me to start from the very beginning. Our world is not the only world that exists you see. There are many counterparts to it but the most common is one that I believe you may know quite well. It is known as the Underworld, the land of the dead that the deceased go to upon death and a place that so many have sought to understand. Normally we humans cannot cross over to this world on our own unless we possess a significant amount of Soul Energy. Soul Energy is only produced by Soul Masters like us who can weaponize their souls to do battle and use magic. Let me demonstrate what Soul Energy looked like in it's purest form." The girl raised her hand and concentrated. Sparks of blue energy crackled along her fingers and down her arm. Riley looked on in amazement. Finally she made a fist and the energy dispersed.</p><p>"For people like you and me the soul is the strongest weapon that we possess along with our magic. It allows us to defend ourselves against monsters and gives us permission to make pacts with them. Normal humans cannot see Underworld creatures who cross over to this world because of a powerful magic spell created a millennia ago known as the <strong>Veil</strong>. No one knows who made this spell or why, but it means that only we can see and interact with the monsters who to humans will appear as something that is simple for their tiny minds to interpret. We Soul Masters live our lives in constant danger, fighting and running for our lives from these creatures starting from the age of six or seven years old. No one can see them and because of that no one can protect us but our own powers. We are forced to live an lonesome life of isolation."</p><p>I listened to her words with understanding. Everything that she had said was what I remember suffering when sis and I were kids. I remembered always being on the run from creatures that made no sense. No one could help us because they couldn't see the monsters and thought that we were insane. I would have died a long time ago if my cunning sister wasn't there to protect me. But when we were adopted the monsters stopped coming us and my life became normal until recently. I didn't understand it at the time but now I think that I finally did.</p><p>"I have been trying to gather and recruit other Soul Masters into an organized group in order to fight back against the monsters invading our world. That way we can protect our kind who had been hunted down as food for those beasts. So far I haven't been able to find those who support my cause besides Selene and my inner circle. But now we have found you and I can tell that you have had a very troubled past. Please...Assist me with this task? You will never have to suffer as you have under my protection."</p><p>Her words seemed to have an effect on Riley. His eyes softened and he didn't appear as guarded nor frightened as he had before. The boy looked between the girl and her butler Selene, who gave him an encouraging smile. Riley then turned his attention to her and spoke the question that was on my mind.</p><p>"Who exactly are you?"</p><p>The girl grinned. "You can call me whatever you like. I don't have any preferences as I have given up my true name. But if you wish to know the name of my group then I will gladly tell you. Welcome dear Riley, to <strong>Black Coffin</strong>. A circle of individuals trying to do the right thing for the sake preserving humanity." She extended her hand toward Riley who hesitated before accepting it.</p><p>The world changed once more and I was back under the blood ocean again. The strong feelings of madness began to choke me again as I sunk below the depths. I felt my soul being slowly tugged away from my body and I had to concentrate with all my might to keep it contained. I understood that I wouldn't be able to survive this intense madness for much longer unless I could Riley again. I couldn't let that demon completely take over his soul, the boy had suffered to much to be abandoned now. He needed someone to support him, someone to rely on. He needed a friend and I would do my best to fill that position for him.</p><p>I began to think about all the good things back in my life in Japan. I thought about my reasons for coming to the Underworld again and my love for the big sister that I cherished so much. I remembered the old woman who took my sister and me in as children and raised us as her own daughters. I imagined the faces of my close friends, both the old ones from my world and the new friends that I made here. Those thought and memories hardened my determination in wanting to help change Riley's heart. Slowly but surely a barrier of white light surrounded me and blocked out the corrupted waters, allowing me to breathe fresh air and curing my mind of the negativity that I had been infected by.</p><p>Now protected from the corruption I began to swim my way towards the surface. Negative emotions and voices of despair whispered into my ear on how hopeless my struggle was but I ignored them and kept on swimming. Finally my head broke the surface and I pulled myself out of the water onto a small island. Resting on my back for a moment to catch my breath I began to think of how I could find Riley in this vast mindspace. Concentrating on my senses I heard the sound of crying and knew that it was Riley. Regaining my feet I followed the sound until I located the boy.</p><p>I was really surprised to find him on the same island as I was. He sat curled in a ball with his feet submerged within the red water. The boy's crying was getting worse and worse and so did my desire to comfort him. In my eyes Riley was similar to a lost child who had been abandoned, alone and scared with no warmth or affection in his life. Looking at him crying reminded me of my past self and it was another reason why I had to help him. If I did then maybe I would receive some closure for my own rough childhood</p><p>I took a step forward. Immediately the ground exploded at my feet and the demon Abyss materialized before me once again. He growled and barred my way from the boy behind him. "I don't know how you were able to survive going mad down there but I won't let you get near my brother!"</p><p>I frowned and took another step forward without hesitation. Abyss snarled and took a step back as well. Seeing this I continued my advance and the demon did the opposite. When I was halfway to them both I stopped and spoke in a soft voice. "I now understand what you two have been through and I'm so sorry about it. But you don't have to protect him anymore. No one is ever going to hurt Riley again, I promise."</p><p>"Oh, how can you be sure of that? Asked Abyss with venom in his voice. "You say that you understand him hmm? You have no idea how many years we spent in that place! We had nothing but eachother for comfort while enduring never ending experiments and psychological torture that broke my brother's mind. I was transformed into...This horrible monstrosity! I had to protect Riley from people so that we both wouldn't end up dead. I bet you didn't know that if anything happened to him I would suffer too did you? Keeping us alive was my job because I still had the mind of a child and I didn't want to die!"</p><p>"And here you are telling me that I don't need to protect him anymore? My brother is a weak creature who trusts too quickly and is always the one to be hurt by others. He's pathetic! If it weren't for me we would have died or been taken advantage of a long time ago! You don't know what I had to do for him! In the end you know nothing about us!"</p><p>A sudden image of my older sister appeared over the form of the demon for a moment. I blinked a few times but the image stayed the same. The entire scene before me was like a rewind of what my sister had said to anyone who thought that they knew us back in my childhood. I grit my teeth defiantly and relied to him in the warmest voice I could manage.</p><p>"You're wrong about that. I know you both too well because we also lived through hardships like you guys did." I looked down at my feet. "I never knew my mother and my father nor can I remember their faces too well. My sister Nell always told me that they died when I was only three years old. How? She never told me that either. But I do know that after that event we were forced onto the streets as orphans. I was young, stupid, and weak. My sister was smart, brave, and so very strong. She kept me alive through so much and I still can't repay her enough for her kindness.</p><p>The sound of crying stopped and I saw that Riley was slightly looking at me from the corner of his eye as if he were listening to my story. Taking this as a good sign I continued. "Eventually we were brought to an orphanage and tossed from foster home to foster home. You'd think that eventually we would have found some kind souls to take us in and treat us as their daughters. But you'd be wrong. We met people who beat us, starved us, took advantage of us, even trying to force themselves on us at times. My sister took most of the beatings for me and stole food just so I wouldn't starve. There were some days where she would worry about me so much that she wouldn't eat for hours and wasted away. I always wished that she would take better care of herself but she would always say that I mattered more because I was younger. She was too stubborn for her own good sometimes."</p><p>"We ran away from every home that took us in and dodged child services for months. Eventually though sis tried to steal from an old woman who was shopping at the market. But somehow this woman saw through her act and she could have turned her in but gave her food for the both of us instead. Sis didn't trust her at first but even still we were offered a chance to live in a home away from the streets. We took a chance on her offer and turned out the old lady had a mansion and had quite a lot of money from some jobs she worked in her youth. The woman's name was Nana and she became like a mother to us for a very long time."</p><p>"What the hell is the point to this dumb story?" Abyss asked impatiently.</p><p>"Nana ended up dying a few years later and gave us her home and her money as an inheritance. We used it for school and a bunch of other good things like medical care and food. Then a few months after that my sister got caught up in a car accident and died too. I was alone and devastated for awhile after that. Until I learned of a rumor that I could change things and bring her back to life. I know it sounds crazy and many people have told me that but I won't give up until I bring her back home with me. I won't let her take the easy way out and leave me all alone like this. That's why I'm here in the first place."</p><p>I then looked up pass Abyss and to Riley, who gasped in surprise at my intense gaze. "But I'm not alone anymore. Since I came here I met Aero, the literal Son of Death who became my partner in this strange world. Then Alex and his partner, Mara and Kuma, Abelia and Penelope, along with Ty. We all have mutual goals for being here and we have found ourselves becoming friends in order to achieve those goals. I never had that many friends in my world but I've made so many in this world that will last a lifetime. If I hadn't have taken a chance on that rumor I'd just be alone and depressed. My friends have made me able to smile and laugh just as I did with my sister. I can't repay them enough for what they did. But I can tell when someone needs friends and I want to become your friend Riley!"</p><p>The boy turned completely to me with wide eyes. His lips struggled to form words and when he did his tone was quiet. "A friend? Y-Y-You want to b-b-be my f-f-friend?"</p><p>I smiled. "Not just your friend. His too." I pointed to Abyss whose mouth turned from a growl to a frown. "I know you have your Mistress and that's fine but has she truly been a friend to you? Has any of her group? I want to introduce you to my other allies and make you their friend too. I want you to join us on our journey."</p><p>I began to walk forward in a sort of trance. Abyss made no move to stop me as I walked past him and toward Riley. I knelled down and took his hand gently, something that seemed to surprise him but he didn't move away from the contact. I tried to make it as close to a mother's touch as possible. "I won't let anyone hurt you ever again Riley. I know the others will feel the same way as I do. You don't have to be lonely anymore. I promise that we will be there for you no matter what happens, both of you."</p><p>I felt a change shift through Riley's body as tears started to form in his eyes. I gently pulled him to his feet and concentrated on letting him experience my warm memories as I tried to project them into his mind. An intense warmth went from my hand into Riley's and his eyes widened as the positive feelings rushed through him. He smiled tenderly and closed his eyes to take in the sensation for a while. The world around us was also changing as well. The red sky became white and the ocean became crystal blue. Even Abyss changed from being a demon to a black shadow that was identical to Riley in almost every way. A light surrounded all of us and I found myself back in the present world.</p><p>I stood where I was before Riley except with his hand still in my own. The boy opened his eyes and looked around before he focused back on me. I heard Aero running over to me with concern on his usually stoic face. "What the hell were you thinking?! Are you stupid or something?! You could have been..."</p><p>He trailed off as I smiled warmly at him. The Son of Death looked between me and Riley with a blank expression. "What exactly did you do to him?"</p><p>"I entered his mind and went through his old memories." I explained. "I managed to heal his mental wounds and helped him overcome his inner demon. Riley won't hurt us anymore, he's completely harmless now."</p><p>"After he tried to kill you now he's harmless? You really are too trusting. We should move on then, I'm growing tired of looking at this place." Said Aero as he began to walk away. He notice that I wasn't following him after a few steps and turned back to me. "What are you doing? I said we need to move."</p><p>I scratched behind my head and addressed him in a nervous tone. I knew that he wouldn't like what I had to say. "Actually...I kinda want to know if you're okay with Riley coming along with us?"</p><p>The look he gave me was so intense that I had to look away as a chill ran down my spine. "You are kidding right?! After all he did you really want to bring him along?! He's a murderer remember?! He will just end up killing us all in our sleep while our guard is down!"</p><p>"No he won't!" I reassured. "We're friends now. I've seen his memories. Riley is just misunderstood because he was alone all of his life and people would took advantage of him. He doesn't know anything about true compassion. I promise to look after him and make sure he stays out of danger."</p><p>"But what about his Mistress? Isn't he still loyal to her?"</p><p>This time Riley decided to answer. "No, I understand now that she was just using us to achieve her goals. However I won't fight against her since she did so much for me when I had nowhere to go. Our Mistress isn't a bad person, I'm sure you can reason with her instead of fighting her if you ever were to meet."</p><p>Aero snorted. "Considering she sent freaks like you and that Ursa from before after us I have a hard time believing that she is the listening type."</p><p>"Even so I hope we don't have to fight with her. And me and Fellie are friends now. I won't let my Mistress do anything to her." He squeezed my hand and blushed with a weak yet determined smile. "I won't let anyone hurt her."</p><p>I returned the smile with one of my own. "We will protect each other, all of us."</p><p>Out of nowhere the boy's shadow suddenly materialized off of the ground and pushed me away from Riley. The shadow grew white circle eyes and fangs that were twisted in an angry sneer.</p><p>"What's with all this mushy crap?! You think you can just tell us who to follow just because of a few sweet words?! You two really sicken me!"</p><p>"We're in agreement on that." Replied Aero with a faint smile. Abyss returned the expression with his own.</p><p>I on the other hand was shocked to see the creature. "You can appear on your own without Riley's permission?"</p><p>"What? Are you stupid? My dumb brother never gave me any permission to appear. I pop up wherever I want to pop up. And this nonsense had to be interrupted. Damn I wish I killed you when I had the chance if I knew that you were going to be this emotional."</p><p>Riley pushed Abyss away from me. His eyes widened at what his brother had just done. "Leave Fellie alone! I won't let you harm her anymore!"</p><p>The creature smirked. "Oh, such bold words from my cowardly big brother! Have you finally developed a backbone of your own? Or could it be...You are crushing on this girl?"</p><p>Riley blushed and fidgeted with his fingers. "W-What?! Of course not! W-we're just f-friends!"</p><p>"Really? You know we share a link with one another right? That means that I can read your mind and I know all your inner thoughts."</p><p>"L-leave me alone Abyss!" The boy lunged at the shadow and wrestled with it. However the shadow easily overpowered him because of how physically weak his brother was.</p><p>"I'll do whatever you want me to do as long as I get tasty souls in the end. But that doesn't mean I have to like it nor let you boss me around. Learn who's in ch-"</p><p>His last words were cut off as I walked up socked him below the jaw with a powerful right hook. Instantly his body exploded into dark wisps and disappeared into the floor again. Sighing in relief I took Riley's hand to help him back to his feet.</p><p>Aero then sighed in defeat. "Fine I agree that he can come with us. But if shows any signs that he's still following his old leader I'm killing them both. Remember I need you alive and I can't let this Mistress have you."</p><p>Shaking nervously Riley nodded to him. "D-don't worry about me. I-I'll won't hurt either you nor Fellie. We are...Friends after all."</p><p>"I wouldn't count on it. Speaking of your Mistress who is she? Where can we find her? What does she want with the princess's Cloak?"</p><p>Riley frowned. "Unfortunately I'm under a direct oath with her to never tell anyone her true name. We can only call her Mistress. As for her location, well you can find her somewhere in the next realm or so. She's in the Underworld though I don't know where her exact hideout is. And we don't know why she wants Fellie's Cloak. She only told us that it was important for making her wish a reality."</p><p>"Some help you are." Aero grumbled.</p><p>"It isn't important why she wants my Cloak. We just have to keep it away from her and be careful from here on out. I know a lot of things about her now from Riley's memories so I know what to look out for. We should focus on finding the others and regroup with them."</p><p>Riley glanced nervously at me. "Others?"</p><p>I nodded while flashing him a comforting smile. "I told you we had other allies with us didn't I? Once I introduce you to them they'll be your friends too. Just as we are." I saw that the boy smiled at that. I knew he probably would have liked that idea.</p><p>The three of us then left the church. I took out my map device and searched for Mara and Abelia's own device signals. Texting our coordinates just in case they showed up with the help of Aero we rested outside of the church and waited on for teammates to catch up with us. As I sat I reached out to Riley and took his hand again, giving it a friendly squeeze to let him know that I was looking out for him. Accepting the sentiment the boy returned my squeeze and closed his eyes to sleep, a peaceful expression on his face as he snored ever so lightly.</p><p>With another new ally plus an unwanted extra along for the ride I felt like now more than ever we would have a chance of surviving this competition. The experience made me like I was growing as a person and I knew that if she were here my sister would be proud of my actions. With my head held high and my body and mind exhausted I closed my eyes and rested, confidence for whatever would come next for our little group.</p><p>Unfortunately for her, what would come next would test her bonds with Aero. For a dark presence was very close by to them. And this presence radiated such madness and hate that it dwarfed Riley's own. Will she survive this encounter? As the author of this story you will have to find out. :)</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Dread</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fellie; After we entered this new realm we encountered all kinds of danger. Aero and I met a troubled boy named Riley who was being influenced by a demon combined with his shadow known as Abyss. Aero and this boy fought to a standstill. Feeling sorry for Riley I entered his mind in order to learn about his past and free him from the demon's influence. It took all my willpower but I succeeded. Riley is now on our side and I learned a little more about the woman hunting for me. Now here we are, waiting for our friends to cross over and meet up with us.<br/>Aero; Those guys better not take too long. According to our backwater author we're about to have our hands full.<br/>Fellie; Aero! Haha, he didn't mean that. Our great creator loves us and we should appreciate the fact that we exist because of him.<br/>Aero; Whatever. Anyway back to the story.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hell Games</p><p>Episode 16-Dread</p><hr/><p>I opened my eyes to find that I was no longer where I had been with my friends. Instead I was in what appeared to be a cafe. The walls were bright blue as was the lighting which illuminated the place. Circular tables were spread out evenly with three chairs each positioned completely around them. The people, if you could even call them that, were black shadow figures that resembled men and women who seemed to be conversing with one another. Some were laughing inaudibly; others were making gestures as if listening to a song. More seemed to be eating unknown food or drinking from cups.</p><p>I was speechless at what I was seeing. The cafe reminded me of one my sister and me had visited before. Before I could focus on the memory a voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Finally. We've been waiting forever for you."</p><p>Opposite me in two chairs were a young man and woman pair who were sipping from two expensive looking cups. The man was strikingly handsome, with brown hair that covered his right eye, a chiseled nose, and blue eyes. He wore a black and blue business suit with grey pants and brown leather shoes. The girl beside him would have been considered beautiful if she wasn't wearing a scowl on her face. She had the same brown colored hair that reached to her shoulders and red eyes. As for attire she wore a red and black dress with long black gloves on and black high heeled shoes. A cute pink flower hung from her head but once again it was hard to focus on with the girl's sour expression.</p><p>I blinked at the two. I was fairly certain that they hadn't been in those seats a few seconds ago. It was if they just appeared. "Uh, excuse me?"</p><p>The man sighed. "Apologies for my sister. She can be quite-"</p><p>"Rambunctious when she doesn't have her tea?" The girl finished, sending her brother a glare. "You must feel the same. After all-"</p><p>"We have been waiting quite a long time for you." The young man finished just as his sister had.</p><p>I was even more confused. "Why are you finishing each other's sentences?"</p><p>The man smirked. "Tis a habit of ours. Given by-"</p><p>"Our Master who did the same in his youth." Ended the girl. "Deal with it."</p><p>"Okay then. Where am I?" I asked.</p><p>They looked between one another, trying to decide who would answer. Crossing her arms the girl replied. "This is our realm. It is a place unknown to mortals where-"</p><p>"Dreams and memories take the form of whatever you desire. Here time is endless-"</p><p>"As long as you will it to be. It has no name so you are free to give it one."</p><p>I tilted my head. "So this is a dream?"</p><p>The man nodded. "To you it is. To us-"</p><p>"This is our world." The girl finished. "We may call you here whenever we wish to-"</p><p>"Converse with you about something serious." The man looked around at the shadow people with a frown. "We chose this as a basis because it is familiar. But this place is-"</p><p>"Very small yes. A pathetic meeting place I must say."</p><p>"Well you didn't have to choose it! I only been here twice and I never liked it." I defended.</p><p>The girl sneered at me. "Regardless it is poor. Now onto our meeting today." She looked at her brother who nodded his head before speaking.</p><p>"The reason for your visit today is because we believe-"</p><p>"That you have the potential to save your world from the coming ruin." The sister finished.</p><p>"Coming ruin?"</p><p>Both siblings took a deep sip from their cups before answering. I looked in my own cup and hesitated before doing the same. Instantly my eyes opened in shock, whatever the liquid inside was tasted of heaven. It bought back memories of the past and tasted like apple cider, my favorite beverage. I remembered the times my older sister shared cups of it with me in our home as we talked about fun events or personal issues. I lowered the cup and was surprised to find that my eyes were wet with tears. I hadn't cried since my sister's funeral.</p><p>The siblings lowered their own cups and focused on me again. The male was the one who spoke. "Very soon you shall encounter a foe-"</p><p>"Who will be beyond both you and the Death spawn. It will threaten both worlds of living and dead-"</p><p>"And all other realms too." The man finished. "This threat will be a personal matter to you. The key to your survival lies in your bond with the Reaper, as well as your other little friends. Strengthen your souls like iron and make you wills unbreakable. Only the connection between living and dead while give you a chance at saving your worlds."</p><p>I took time to digest their words. This all sounded so crazy that it had to be a dream. A threat was coming that put both my world and the Underworld in danger? Was that even possible? And apparently Aero and I were one of the only ones who could stop it. It sort of reminded me of a manga that I had read a while ago. And what did he mean by a personal matter?</p><p>I took a deep breath and collected my thoughts. "So this threat...what exactly is it anyway?"</p><p>The girl shrugged. "You have to figure it out for yourself. The clock's premonitions-"</p><p>"Are always quite vague. You and your cohorts are on the correct path. We shall speak to you again the time is right." The man said.</p><p>"So try not to die or fail until then." Demanded the girl.</p><p>I smirked to myself. "So you guys don't always finish each other's sentences huh?" The pair looked between one another but didn't answer. "What are your names?"</p><p>The man pointed at himself. "I am Warron.</p><p>"And I am Julia." The girl introduced with a fierce glare.</p><p>The two leaned close and stared into my eyes, speaking in unison. "We are the Lost Siblings. Go and save your worlds. Our master has high hopes for you."</p><p>My eyes grew hazy and the next thing I knew I was back in the Realm of War with Mara shaking my shoulder. It appeared to be sunlight in this crazy world yet the sounds of battle and combat still sung in the air. I turned my head to look around and was shocked to see all my friends standing around me, though most of them seemed different than I last remembered. Aero was nearby leaning on part of a wall. I looked for Riley and saw him standing nervously away from our group.</p><p>Mara smiled as I focused on him and let go of my shoulder. "Good you're awake! We almost didn't find you guys for a minute there. This world had us all turned around. Some punks tried to give us trouble while we were looking for you but they couldn't take all of us. Glad to see the two of you are still around."</p><p>Abelia grunted and crossed her arms. "Yes. It would indeed have been upsetting if you had gotten eliminated. As your rival I could not except you being defeated by anyone but myself."</p><p>Penelope smirked and glanced at Aero. "I am very glad you are still alive as well. I had the upmost faith in your strength and resourcefulness. You are too strong to lose after all."</p><p>Aero scoffed and looked away from her. Ty walked up to me and extended his hand. I took it and smiled up at him, which he returned. "I am happy to see you well young lady. Truly it was the will of the Lord that you have made it this far and safely as well."</p><p>I yawned and stretched. "I'm happy to see you guys too. Is anyone injured? What happened with that group who separated us?"</p><p>"We're all fine." Answered Mara. "We made sure to fix up our wounds before we got here. And don't worry about those other guys, we defeated them all."</p><p>I smiled. "You guys really are amazing! I knew you'd be able to win!"</p><p>Mara smirked and glanced over at Riley who looked away nervously. "Sorry to ask but who is that guy over there? We thought he was an enemy but he explained that you were all friends. He's been keeping his distance ever since."</p><p>"That's Riley. And yeah he's a friend we made not too long ago. Don't worry he is completely harmless to us." I explained while flashing a friendly smile at the boy. He blushed and returned it with a tiny smile of his own before shyly looking away.</p><p>Abelia glared at the boy's back. He seemed to sense her eyes baring into his back, making the teen fidget awkwardly. "I sense an unknown and eerie power radiating from him. Where exactly did you find this...Suspicious person?"</p><p>I didn't want to tell her that Riley was sent to hunt me down. Nor did I want to go into the details of our battle. I had to cover for him. "He saved us from a really tough monster. If it wasn't for Riley we could have been done for."</p><p>"Really? A monster that not even the Reaper's spawn could handle in his evolved form? I suppose we don't have enough information on the creatures of this realm yet. Very well I believe you, but I shall keep an eye on him." Said Abelia as she finally looked away from Riley.</p><p>Kuma walked between them and turned to me. "So what should be our next objective now that we are all together?"</p><p>"We should locate the next realm's portal obviously." Aero answered in my place as he stood beside me. "We don't have any business in this land. The Realm of War is nothing but a violent world full of never ending dangers. Gaining experience is good but we should leave immediately if we want to catch up to the other competitors."</p><p>Ty crossed his arms behind his back. "I believe that I have located the area in which the next zone portal lies. It appears to be coming from the northwest. If you continue as you are now it will only take about an estimated day or two to reach it. Unfortunately I must part ways with your here as I have important business to do elsewhere."</p><p>I glanced at him in confusion. "You won't be joining us?"</p><p>The old priest laughed to himself. "Young lady have you forgotten that I have not officially joined your party? I merely followed you all to repay my debt and train you in cooperating with your comrades. We are still technically enemies. I sadly doubt that the next time we meet will be as allies. If and when that time comes please know that I will not show any of you mercy. I too have a wish to fulfill and I will not allow anything to stop me."</p><p>I lowered my head in disappointment. I didn't want to think about the possibility that I would have to fight him. The priest had been kind to us and had been a huge help in getting us so far. He said that he also had a wish of his very own to achieve. Could I really bring myself to fight a friend? Especially one who was just as driven as me?</p><p>Ty offered his hand to me and after a moment's hesitation I shook it. He put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a kind smile. "I pray to the Lord that you will find victory in your future battles. You and your friends of course. No matter how hard your path gets do not despair. God shall enlighten you on even the darkest road."</p><p>The priest turned and addressed Aero with a bow. "And I hope that you achieve your goals as well, my young prince of death."</p><p>Aero grunted and looked away from the man. Ty said his goodbyes to the rest of us and began to walk off into the deserted lands of the Realm of War. I watched him until he was but a white figure in the distance, then called for our group to begin heading northwest. As we walked I noticed that Riley had maintained a far distance from the rest of us and kept his eyes on the ground. I felt bad for his nervousness and vowed to open him up to the rest of the group when I had the opportunity.</p><p>It was about an hour before Mara moved up from his place in the group and called for us to stop. We all did and looked at him in confusion as the ninja boy grinned from ear to ear. Finally I decided to confront him in irritation. "Why did you stop us?"</p><p>He put his hands behind his head while continuing the smirk before answering. "I've been thinking about it for some time and I finally thought that it was time for me to share what's on my mind. Since we'll all be working with each other I think that we should give our little crew a name."</p><p>That caught me off guard. I tilted my head in confusion as I asked for an elaboration. "Why should we have a name?"</p><p>"It's only right that we have something that identifies us as a party. I really don't want to be referred to as the Reaper's group or your party or anything like that. We should have something that demands respect and who no one wants to mess with but also something cool and easy to remember. It will also make our team synergy stronger if we have a name that we can rally behind."</p><p>I crossed my arms and thought about what he was proposing. It would definitely benefit us if we made a name our group. We'd have something that we could get behind and it could strengthen our friendship. I saw that Aero and Abelia seemed to be warming to the idea and Penelope crossed her arms behind her back in thought. I turned to Mara and asked a question.</p><p>"Okay, so what would you suggest?"</p><p>"I'm thinking a name that we all should be familiar with in our world. Let's call ourselves the <strong>Undertakers</strong>!" Mara declared with a flashy spread of his arms.</p><p>Penelope titled her head. "Isn't that the people responsible for handling dead bodies and graves?"</p><p>"Yeah but it fits perfectly for us. Both you and Kuma are undead and we have the son of the damn Grim Reaper right before us. With a name like that we can both get respect and be total badasses to anyone who doesn't know us. It'll be the best thing ever!"</p><p>I considered that for a minute, then nodded in confirmation. "Yeah that sounds good. Alright then we will be officially called the <strong>Undertakers </strong>from now on. I suppose we should select a leader for this if it's going to be official. Aero?"</p><p>He turned to me and shook his head. "I'm not the best person to lead. I might be trying to rule my father's kingdom but I'm not that good at planning and making strategies. I mostly let my anger get the best of me. We need someone smart and calm to be a leader."</p><p>"Then who wants to do it?"</p><p>Only then did I realize that everyone was looking right at me. I took a step back in shock. "W-What?! No way can I be leader! I never lead anything in my life!"</p><p>Mara shrugged. "Trust me I'd love to be the leader but I don't have the brain power for all that. Besides I'm more of the follower type. You show me to a fight and I'll follow your orders as simple as that."</p><p>Kuma gave me a gentle smile and a bow. "You are the only one qualified to lead our group. You have been doing an excellent job so far and I trust you fully. It is rare to find a leader so kind to her followers. I would accompany you through the depths of hell if need be."</p><p>"Personally I think that you are quite lacking in leadership experience." Abelia said with her arms crossed. "Though it pains me to say it you do have excellent potential and I would like to see how far you develop as our squad leader. Plus you were the one who gathered this crew of misfits together like this. It would be irresponsible for you not to guide us down the right path."</p><p>Penelope touched Abelia's shoulder and gave me a playful smirk. "I follow whatever Lady Abelia believes in. If she has faith in you than I shall do the same. That said I do trust in your abilities to command and direct this group. It would be an honor for me to follow you."</p><p>Even Riley turned to me and smiled warmly. "You were the first real friend that I ever made. I-I might be new to this team b-but I believe that you will make a great leader. I will try my best to f-follow your orders a-and watch your back."</p><p>Finally Aero put a hand on my shoulder and I looked him in the eye. His expression was unreadable but I could tell that he seemed to trust my judgement. "If you want I can be co-leader. That way we can share in the work and the hard decisions."</p><p>I felt a tear roll down my eye and quickly went to wipe it before the others could see. "Thanks. And the same goes to you guys also! I'll do my best as leader and not let you all down! I promise your faith in me won't go to waste!"</p><p>They all cheered for me then. I was happy to have friends like these watching my back. I had a feeling that if sis were hearing this then she would be crying tears of pride for me right now.</p><p>We continued on our way after our group was all settled. For some reason I could feel an improved form of synergy between us, a closeness that we didn't have when we first started out. That must have meant that we were officially a team now and trusted one another. Mara was right, having a team name did make me feel stronger and more confident than I ever had been before.</p><p>As we traveled through the harsh desert wasteland before us the others gave of the details about their battles. I was impressed with Mara passion with friendship and how strong Kuma's morals were. I could tell that Abelia had purposely hidden some details of her fight while Penelope told us the only reason she won was because of her loyalty to Abelia. The red haired girl blushed at that information and I laughed at her discomfort.</p><p>On the road we encountered hostile monsters unlike what we met when we first came to this world. They looked like grey skinned goblins with murky yellow eyes and teeth as sharp as razors. They were dressed in grey military fatigues or army coats with protective helmets on their heads. The creatures wielded rusty army issue rifles and machine guns that were in desperate need of repair but could still prove dangerous if we weren't careful. In the back of the goblins was one who I could assume was their leader, who was dressed in a more formal uniform with gold badges and carrying a riding crop. He made a series of grunts and instantly all of the goblins began to move in sync like a real army.</p><p>"What are those things?" I asked as the army approached us at a slow pace.</p><p>"<strong>War Goblins</strong>." Answered Aero. "There a race of goblin specifically bred in this realm to fight in wars. From my knowledge there are two rival factions here who are constantly battling for territory. Apparently this is one of those groups."</p><p>Kuma scanned the grey creatures with a keen eye. "That one in the back of the line is a general leading this group correct? How dangerous are these <strong>War Goblins</strong>?"</p><p>"On their own they aren't much of a threat. However they normally like to be in units where their numbers and weapons can give them an advantage. The general in the back is the result of goblins that have survived wars for a long time. He'll be the one we have to watch out for since he makes up the moral of the other goblins. If we kill him then the group should scatter immediately."</p><p>"So basically we should strike first!" Mara concluded as he recklessly charged at the goblin unit. Abelia and Penelope ran after him and Kuma sighed before doing the same.</p><p>The <strong>War Goblins </strong>stopped in their march and pointed their guns toward my friends. With a grunt from the general they opened fire. Mara jumped over the incoming bullets while Abelia conjured up a shield to deflect the attacks away from the girls. As the goblins reloaded Mara came down on them with ninjato in hand, slicing and tearing apart the front line before the others could blink. Some goblins tried to attack him with long daggers but Mara easily outmatched them and decapitated the lot of them.</p><p>Abelia moved like a blur and pierced through a handful of the creatures. Penelope used her ice magic to freeze some others and skewered a few by conjuring icicles spears from the ground. The goblin middle line threw grenades at the two girls but Kuma unleashed a wind shockwave from her swords and detonated them in midair. The four fighters continued to rend through the army of monsters while Aero, Riley and I just watched.</p><p>The goblin leader witnessed his armies decimation with horror. He must have been confident in his victories with long ranged weapons and his numbers. Against other goblins or other monsters it might have been more effective, however he must have never fought against strong opponents like us before. His army and weapons were proving ineffective against us. However he didn't give up like I thought he would. The goblin continued to yell at his soldiers and they regained formation from the chaos. With renewed vigor they attacked my friends with a hail of bullets and grenades. Abelia and Penelope conjured a reinforced ice barrier in front of them to counter the assault but after a while the ice started breaking apart. Pushing forward the goblins began to march while firing, slowly surrounding the four fighters and chipping the barrier faster than before. If something wasn't done my friends would be overwhelmed and slaughtered.</p><p>I looked up to locate the goblin leader. He was still in the back yelling encouragement to his allies. As long as he was around the other goblins would continue their attack. He needed to go immediately.</p><p>"We need to get rid of the goblin leader before they completely surround the others." I voiced my plan to Aero.</p><p>"Yeah you're right. I'll get him." Aero replied as he summoned his scythe into his hand and began to charge purple energy into it.</p><p>I stopped him however. There was a new spell that I wanted to try out and this was the perfect time to use it. "Actually leave it to me. I've got something new recently that I really want to try. If I screw up then go right ahead."</p><p>I closed my eyes and outstretched my hands. Focusing deeply on my inner reserve of mana I began to feel a tingling in my fingers that ran up my arms and to my shoulders. I imagined giving the mana a shape and thought of a bow, something that I remembered seeing at a museum once and really enjoying. I felt the energy morph and become solid in my hands until I was now holding a perfect replica of the bow, but now just any bow. This one was made of pure electricity, even the bowstring. I touched said bowstring and pulled it back experimentally. Instantly an arrow of electricity appeared where my fingers were, humming with power.</p><p>Aero gave me what I thought was an impressed look and smirked slightly. "Well that's a surprise. When did you learn that you could do that?"</p><p>"Before our battle with Riley actually. The other day while we were traveling together I checked my spellbook absentmindedly and I found a whole bunch of new spells that I never had before. I guess that depending on the form my Cloak takes my spells change along with it. Ever since I got here it feels like my magic power rose to crazy heights. I don't think I ever would have been able to make this in my old Cloak."</p><p>"T-That's really c-cool Fellie. I'm g-glad to have a s-strong f-friend like you." Riley stuttered while giving me a supportive smile. I really needed to help the boy build more confidence and stop being so soft spoken.</p><p>I turned back toward the enemy goblins and zeroed in on the goblin leader. I lowered myself to my knees for better stability and held my breath like I remembered seeing actors in movies do. I never did archery before and I had no references to draw from but that. I made sure to aim high to judge for the trajectory and the wind before releasing my shot. The arrow shot through the air like a laser. The goblins stopped firing to watch my arrow with confusion and awe, allowing my friends to finally catch their breath. The arrow started to descend after reaching max flight and came down toward the goblin leader and his men. It seemed that he was still locked in awe at the beautiful bright arrow that he didn't even try to dodge. The projectile slammed into his forehead and exploded in a blast of electricity that arced to other goblins like a lightning rod. Several of them died and vanished immediately while the rest backed away in fear of getting electrocuted next. When the sparks died down my attack had left a large crater where the goblin leader, who was now a red soul wisp that flew toward us and Aero gobbled it down in a single bite. Were all Reapers as weird as he was?</p><p>The goblins were all looking between me and the charred crater where their commander had been. One of the goblins dropped his rifle and ran off, soon another did the same and another until the entire army were hightailing it back from where they had come from. I dismissed my bow and sat on the ground while breathing heavily. That spell had taken a surprising amount of magic power out of me despite the energy boost that I had felt. I sighed and smiled; it didn't matter how tired I was only that my friends had survived. Though I was still proud that my spell had been so powerful to end the fight in one shot and I didn't have to rely on Aero for this one.</p><p>Mara and the others came over to us while also breathing heavily. Abelia gave me a wary look with her hands on her hips. "What the hell?!"</p><p>"Heh heh, just a little spell that I recently learned the other day. Apparently my spells change depending on the Cloak that I'm wearing." I chuckled bashfully.</p><p>The redhead huffed before looking away. "If that is the case I suppose that means I'll have to work harder to catch up to you every time we enter a new world. I won't let you get the best of me."</p><p>I smiled. Our group rested for half an hour before we continued on our way. After the <strong>War Goblins </strong>we suffered no other disturbance. By the time we decided to stop the sky was beginning to get dark. I estimated that we had been walking for about three hours. As a group we decided to make camp and recover from the long walk.</p><p>This didn't last long though. Just as Kuma and Penelope had stood to begin preparations for dinner a loud beeping sound gained our attention. I felt a vibration in my longcoat pocket and took out the device that we received at the first realm. The others besides Riley were doing the same as we all examined the beeping screen. A sense of curiosity filled me and I tapped the screen with my finger. Immediately the beeping stopped and a voice that sounded like the Grim Reaper played from it.</p><p>"Good evening competitors! This is Lord Death speaking! I hope you all are enjoying our realms so far and I hope no one has met their untimely end! If you are hearing this then I assume that most of you have made it to the second world or maybe some of you go getters are already in at the third! If so then please ignore this announcement! Just as I promised I will be giving participants a chance to earn experience points for their Assets! Located in a dungeon to the northwest that contains a powerful monster! This beast is known as a <strong>Zombie Dragon</strong>, a powerful reanimated dragon corpse brought back by unknown magic! They are rare to find in this world and I think this is a great chance for you guys to level up, so to speak!"</p><p>"I ask that you face this foe with caution! Dragons have always proved to vicious and ill tempered! If you do attempt to engage it I urge you to work together with your comrades! Do not underestimate the dragon race, even an undead one can be lethal! I wish you all the best of luck and I look forward to your achievements!"</p><p>The voice cut out and the device's screen went black. I put it away and looked at my friends who were looking at each other. I shrugged and decided to speak.</p><p>"Well I guess we will be doing this right?"</p><p>Mara smirked and raised his fist. "Hell yeah we are! A dragon is the perfect opponent for someone as great as me to take on! With this many people we can't lose!"</p><p>Kuma sighed at him. "Will you truly gain glory through defeating an undead dragon? You are aware that dragons are notorious for razing armies of fighters and these <strong>Zombie Dragons </strong>are far more powerful than that?"</p><p>"I don't sweat the specifics Kuma. If I hear about a tough monster of course I'm gonna fight it."</p><p>They argued for some time after that. Abelia tapped her hand to her rapier and voiced her opinion. "For once I agree with the boy on this. A dragon is an excellent foe to test myself against. And the experience would be worthwhile. I am confident with our numbers and Fellie's magic at its current state that we can hold our own."</p><p>"I go where my mistress goes. How often does one fight a dragon in their life? I'm sure that we can improve our group's coordination if we fight it together as a team." Said Penelope with a pleasant smile.</p><p>Riley rubbed his arm nervously. "W-Well I am terrified at the thought of f-fighting a large monster and undead things creep me out. But i-if you are g-going to fight than I'll help too. I won't let my new friends die."</p><p>Abyss came out of his shadow and whacked the teen in the back of his head. "Stop trying to sound cool! I can feel that you're about to wet yourself you big baby!"</p><p>"No I'm not!"</p><p>I blinked and looked over at the others. Just as I feared they stared at Abyss in shock and confusion. Abelia glared at me so intensely I shivered. She gripped her rapier tightly and growled at me. "Explain this! Now!"</p><p>I took a breath, knowing that this would happen eventually. Once I composed my thoughts I spoke to them in a clear voice. "The day before we all met up Aero and I found a church where we found Riley and a whole bunch of dead or dying competitors inside. The one who hurt them was Riley himself, who is actually a human who had been experimented on from a young age to be some kind of indestructible super weapon. Long story short that thing you see is Riley's twin brother who turned into a monster and was merged with him. They were discarded for being failures and forced to live as test subjects at some faculty for a long time. Then they managed to escape."</p><p>I stopped briefly to prepare myself for the next piece of information. I knew that they wouldn't react positively but it was better to let the cat out now before things got worse later. Finally I shared with them. "Riley also works for this <strong>Mistress </strong>lady that's been hunting after us. He was supposed to capture me but we managed to beat him. Now he's on our side."</p><p>There was silence after that. It grew to uncomfortable amounts as I watched Abelia's harsh glare. My confidence before was wavering under those angry blue eyes of hers. Finally she spoke in a tone that told me she was trying hard to contain her rage. "Why did you lie?"</p><p>"Because I wanted to give him a chance. If I told you before you'd never allow him to come with us. Riley wants to be a good guy. I hoped that if he did something good than when the time came for me to tell you he wouldn't be judged for his past-"</p><p>"How can you truly know that he isn't faking being your friend?!" She interrupted passionately. "You brought an unpredictable killing machine that serves a woman that we don't even know under the excuse of wanting to give him a chance? This abomination has no issue murdering people just to feed itself. Who can know if we aren't be watched through him by his master? I mean how else could she have known that you'd reach that church? She could be sending something after us right now. Your naivety could get us all killed!"</p><p>A flash of hot anger filled me and I yelled back with equal passion. "I looked through his memories! I saw all of Riley's experiences, his pain, and his sense of loneliness! I felt sorry for him! No kid should have had to go through so much suffering like that! He reminded me of myself!" I didn't notice but tears had come to my eyes as I remembered my past. Abelia's eyes softened as my tone became more somber. "I have almost no memories of my parents. I was told that they died in a fire when I was only two years old. No relative wanted to take care of us so we were forced to live on the streets. That meant that every day was a struggle to survive. I watched as my sister stole, lied, and cheated just so she could feed me. Sometimes she focused so much on me that she didn't get to eat herself. It stayed that way until I was three where I had to do the same."</p><p>"For years it was only sis and me. We had no friends, ran away from police and abusive foster homes, and had to survive some harsh weather. I felt miserable for the people I stole from or when my sister took the beatings meant for me. I suffered through so much pain and the fear of being separated from my sister. Things were worse when I started seeing monsters for the first time. But thankfully we found a nice woman who gave us a chance at a better life. All the pain went away for some time. We were officially adopted, had gained a mom, lived in a nice home, and gorged ourselves on good food and clean water. I even got to go to school for the first time in my life." I remembered the memories with a fond smile. "Four years later the old woman died and we were left with her inheritance. We were sad for a while but we still had each other. Sis got a bunch of odd jobs and I went to decent schools, things were great for us."</p><p>My smiled faltered. "Then sis died in a car accident two months ago. I was lost without her. The only family that I had in this cruel world that cared for me was gone and I felt like I was breaking apart. I stopped going to school, I ate less, and I isolated myself from my friends. I just didn't know what to do with myself after she died. I was alone for the first time in my life. I scrolled through the web a lot to keep myself occupied. Then suddenly I found hope, the world of the occult. I used to find stuff like that fake but at that time I was willing to do anything to bring my sister back into my life. I didn't care if god himself stood in my way, I had to see her again. My mind changed and I lost myself online and in library books searching for any sign of supernatural activity. I found this village and heard their rumors about the Underworld. If I came on a specific day to the village cemetery then I would be able to enter the next world and meet the spirits. I followed their instructions and well...Here I am. I never expected to get caught up in a tournament though."</p><p>I looked Abelia in the eyes and my smile returned. "The point is I understand loneliness more than anyone. I know pain and suffering and about being treated like garbage by bad people. Like me Riley only had his sibling to rely on. They supported each other and fought to survive like I did. But unlike me Riley had no one to take him in and never experienced kindness, he never got to see the good of humanity like I did. I want to be that person for him. I want to give him a chance at a new life like I had. Call it naivety if you want but I believe that everyone deserves a second chance to change. That's why I'm putting my trust and friendship in him. I believe in him and I know that he won't betray that. And so I ask you guys now to place your trust in me and give him a chance. Please?"</p><p>I glanced at all of my friends who seemed to be in their own thoughts about my story. As usual Mara was the first to speak. He put an arm around Riley's shoulder and flashed a playful smirk.</p><p>"I totally agree with you leader. I liked this guy the moment I saw him and after hearing his story I can definitely relate. Plus he's already a member of us after agreeing to be in the guild. I'll put my trust in you both."</p><p>Kuma smiled and walked over to Riley as well. The boy blushed as she put her hand on his shoulder. She closed her eyes for some reason and after a few seconds opened them and nodded in approval. "I sense no malice or evil from this boy's soul. The winds deem that he can be trusted. I quite enjoy having another companion fighting beside me. Like Mara I shall put my trust in you."</p><p>Riley was blushing so hard he looked like a tomato. Kuma released him and walked away. Abelia was the next to walk up with Penelope beside her. She studied Riley as if he were an insect and the boy shifted nervously under her graze. Finally she sighed and looked away. "I don't like you but your story had given me some insight on your situation. However what I feel is pity not sympathy. If you want my trust then you must earn it but for now I will see you as a traveling companion." Then the redhead turned to me with a glare. "The same goes to you. Your attempt at a guilt trip was sad and I feel no sympathies toward you. However I respect your determination and your willingness to fight the world for what you desire. That is ambition in its truest form. I now see you as a worthy leader."</p><p>"Thanks." I decided to take that as a compliment. I heard someone coming up behind me and saw Aero who was giving me a strange look. I tilted my head but he just looked away. Penelope held my hand in a soft, warm grip and held it to her face with a smile.</p><p>"Your story really touched my heart. Though Lady Abelia said otherwise you have my trust completely. And if you trust Riley so will I. I am truly grateful that my mistress has someone as kind and strong as you for a rival and leader."</p><p>I scratched my head sheepishly. "I-It's no big deal. Happy to have your support."</p><p>Finally I turned to Riley who had tears in his eyes with his hair covering his face slightly. My eyes widened as the boy suddenly hugged my waist. I could feel my cheeks redden from the contact. I had never been hugged by a boy before and never this intensely. It was strange but not unpleasant.</p><p>"T-Thank you so much! I promise that I won't betray your trust in me! It feels so great that my first friend was someone as kind as you! My c-chest has never felt so warm before!" Riley looked up at me with a smile and blushing cheeks. "Even if my Mistress has bad plans for you I won't let her hurt you! I would put my life on the line to protect you and everyone else! And that goes double for Abyss too! We won't fail you guys!"</p><p>I smiled at the boy's words and rubbed his head gently. Riley closed his eyes and leaned into my touch for a while before finally releasing me. The others were smiling as well at our tender moment. I caught Aero looking at me before he turned away. He whispered something that only I could hear. "Looks like you make a good leader after all."</p><p>My face felt hot at the compliment. I cleared my throat and looked away so that the others wouldn't notice. "Well now that that's settled how about we get moving? I'd like to find this dragon before some other team steals it from us."</p><p>They nodded and with me in the lead we took a detour in order to locate the <strong>Zombie Dragon</strong>. We ended up coming to a long chasm that had staircases that descended down into the earth itself. It was really deep and I feared that you'd never reach the bottom if you were to fall. Apparently from what I could tell this was a ruin based on how aged the staircases were. They seemed pretty stable but we could be very sure that they wouldn't crumple if we stayed too long.</p><p>We descended the first set of stairs. I took my time as I didn't want to slip because there were no railings, meaning that if you were to fall you'd potentially fall to your death. It made things slow for us with my slow movement but eventually we came to the first floor. We still had about seven more floors to go before we reached our target. I sighed to myself. At least we were going down and not up.</p><p>As we continued I took time to study our surroundings. I guessed that this chasm had once been a functioning ancient city before becoming a ruin. There were signs what looked like broken houses on the walls and markings that I didn't understand. The constant war above was likely the reason that it had been reduced to this state. The falling rocks must have destroyed the bridges and caused the bulk of the damage. That explained the condition of the staircase. I imagined how the inhabitants must have felt as debris and gunfire rained down from above. Even if they were non-human they must have felt fear.</p><p>I began to hear a sound above me and looked up cautiously. I thought so much about debris falling in here that I was afraid it was happening now. But I saw nothing coming down and sighed in relief. The sound continued and I realized what I was hearing was the wind. It must have picked up as we descended and was making a strange sound as it flowed into the ruin. I had never heard anything like it before.</p><p>Mara came up beside me and looked up as well with an equally cautious expression. "Sounds eerie doesn't it? I thought we were being attacked for a minute but it was just the stupid wind."</p><p>"Yeah me too. My heart almost jumped out of my chest because I was afraid we were going to get buried from above. What about you?"</p><p>The ninja boy gave a haughty laugh which was obviously forced. "Me? Afraid? As if! I'm the Greatest Ninja in the world! What do I have to be afraid of?" Then his expression turned to slight worry. "Though this place is a little creepy. The sooner we get things over with the better, I'm getting uneasy the lower we go."</p><p>I knew that I could trust his instincts almost as I could mine. We descended four more sets of staircases and my legs were aching. We decided to take a short break before continuing on. I took a sip of conjured water to hydrate myself while looking up to see how far we had gone. The first staircase seemed so far away now. I didn't really like the idea of it being so high up because it always reminded me that we were technically underground. I had a small phobia of being underground ever since I was four so this was not helping me at all. Thankfully I had my friends around to keep my spirits up or I probably would have gone back up already.</p><p>It took about two and a half hours for us to finally reach the final staircase. Judging by the tired looks of some of my companions they were happy that the descent was finally over. We climbed down and walked across a long platform to a metal gate. I looked at Aero who nodded and forced the gate open easily. We entered and walked down a long hallway.</p><p>Seeing that we were getting closer to our goal I decided to ask Aero on advice for fighting the dragon we were hunting. "Hey Aero could you tell us what exactly is the best way to fight a <strong>Zombie Dragon</strong>? What can it do and what is its weaknesses?"</p><p>Aero thought for a moment. "From what I know about <strong>Zombie Dragons </strong>they are a dark attributed creature with some proficiency in poison attacks. Chances are it will try to use that first to weaken us. Then it will come at us in close combat, hoping to eat or crush one of us. We should focus on range and use spells that resist poison. Last I checked that was a skill you gained against that first monster we fought here."</p><p>Huh? I did? I guessed I only skimmed through the list of spells I gained after that fight. Aero was sharper than I gave him credit for. I didn't tell him that though and continued to listen to his information.</p><p>"I suggest that we keep you and Kuma in the back. The dragon's bone torso is strong against bladed weapons without enhancements. Try to shield or cure us while we fight. Actually you should attack with ranged spells to slow it down. The dragon will be tough and I doubt you can actually hurt it but you'll give us openings to strike. Use fire, earth, or light spells if you want to damage it. That's all I know."</p><p>Kuma crossed her arms. "Are we certain that you will be able to harm the dragon yourselves? It is undead so it lacks most weak points. Where on the body should we strike?"</p><p>Aero shrugged. "The neck or chest is fine. Those are the soft spots on a dragon's body. Once it's taken enough damage the dragon will expose its core. We'll be focusing on that point to attack."</p><p>The ninja girl still wasn't completely convinced. I could understand her worry and I placed my hand on her shoulder. "You don't have anything to worry about Kuma. We won't let this big lizard harm our friends. Let's work together and keep them alive."</p><p>She looked at me and her worry turned to determination. She nodded and bowed her head. "You are correct. Forgive me for my doubt. I swear by the winds that I will put all my energy into protecting my comrades."</p><p>I rubbed my arm sheepishly at the formality. Talk about an old fashioned gesture.</p><p>Suddenly a pulse of power hit me and my body shuddered in fear. The others felt it too and stopped. Whatever it was came from directly in front of us. The feeling I got was one of bloodlust, an aura of malice so cold that it shook me to my core. My breathing got heavy and I could feel my heartbeat quicken. This power reminded me of Riley's own before we had fought only stronger. Was it the dragon's power that we were sensing? I hadn't felt anything this chilling. I almost didn't want to move forward.</p><p>However I was shocked to see Aero walking on as if nothing was happening. Couldn't he feel that pressure? Or was he maybe ignoring it? Aero was the only one of us who wasn't human, maybe that was why he could endure the aura. I couldn't let myself stand here and hold him back. I had to follow him. So I took a breath and stepped forward which coaxed the others to do the same, although they were dragging their feet.</p><p>We passed through an open gate and found ourselves looking down from a cliff into a large room. From what I could tell it was a tomb where thousands of bodies were buried in the walls like a morgue. The smell of death and decay was in the air but that wasn't what was on our minds right now. Standing before us was the <strong>Zombie Dragon</strong>. It was much like how I imagined a dragon would look like, big and terrifying with razor sharp teeth and large wings. However it's skin was purple and bloated and it's eyes glowed an ominous emerald green. Purple foul smelling smoke flowed from the beast's maw which I suspected was poison. The dragon was covered in injures on certain points of its rotten body which bled black blood. I looked down to the creature's lower body and noticed a figure standing before it.</p><p>This person was a tall young man with long crimson hair and a well-built frame. He wore a long black trenchcoat and ebony colored pants with grey boots. His skin was ghostly pale and his eyes were red making me wonder if he was some sort of vampire. The man wore two black gloves, the one on his left hand was fingerless while the other was completely covered with a strange slit down it's center. Clenched in the man's left fist was a black sword that was as long as my entire torso. Black blood dripped down from the weapon, indicating that it belonged to the dragon. However I noticed that there were red stains on it as well. The man's entire form radiated the chilling aura that I had felt before. It absolutely dwarfed that of the dragon. Whoever this guy was I could tell that he was the real monster here.</p><p>The undead beast was glaring down at the man with an expression that I guessed was pure hatred. It raised its head and roared with ear shattering force, forcing us to cover them. The man didn't seem affected and began walking over to the dragon at a casual pace. The beast seemed to understand that it's roar wasn't doing anything to the crimson haired man so it stopped to our relief. Instead it lunged at the man with its claw outstretched to crush him. The tall man rolled out of the way and back to his feet as another attack from the monster forced him to dodge. The dragon tried to grab him but the man ducked and slashed his blade up the creature's arm, drawing a torrent of black blood onto the ground.</p><p>The dragon screeched and turned its head to the male. It hissed out a jet of poison smoke that engulfed the man completely. I figured that he would have died instantly. Instead the man waved his hand through the smoke and blew it away. He looked completely unharmed despite being covered in poison not too long ago. Was he immune to it? Before I could ponder my thoughts any further I heard a sickening noise and found the head of the dragon fly through the air. The man had moved faster than the eye could track and had lopped off the dragon's head easily. We couldn't even process what we had just seen.</p><p>The dragon's body continued to move as it thrashed around violently. Being undead I guess it made sense that it could live independently from its head. It lifted itself off the ground with its huge wings and charged at the crimson haired man. He didn't move as the dragon corpse threatened to crush him. Instead just at the last moment the redhead lifted his arm and backhanded the dragon so hard that it was sent flying into the wall behind it. I didn't know how he did it but the feat alone showed that this man had strength that could not be considered human. It was terrifying to witness.</p><p>The dragon corpse crashed to the ground with a loud thud. Before it could rise again the man appeared on its back and rammed his sword straight through. It thrashed in pain as black blood erupted out of the wound like a geyser, spraying the walls and the ground as if painting a canvas. Then with one last twitch the corpse of the <strong>Zombie Dragon </strong>laid still, rotten skin melting off it's flesh until it was nothing more than bones.</p><p>I blinked once, then twice. The powerful monster that we had been so tasked with defeating had been dealt with by this skinny man easily, being reduced to a mere plaything even. Every instinct in me was saying that this guy was not someone that we should trifle with. The aura had died down significantly than what it was before but I wasn't reassured. The pressure was still there and the trembling in my legs wouldn't stop. This man was evil personified.</p><p>I heard the voice of Aero speak beside me. "Impossible. There is no way a human could take down a <strong>Zombie Dragon </strong>on their own. I've never heard of it happening before."</p><p>"P-Perhaps he isn't just a human. He could be a <strong>Half-Life </strong>like the rest of us." Added Penelope.</p><p>"No he is alive, I can sense it. But to see such power in a mortal is very rare in the Underworld. Beyond that it's been a while since I felt a soul as black as his. Normally black souls would corrupt the forms of humans into something grotesque yet this one maintains his mortality. My dad didn't tell me that some people could keep their form if they wanted."</p><p>I felt someone wrap their arms around mine and saw Riley trembling in fear. "That person...He feels kind of like me but a lot colder. His aura is so terrifying like it's telling me to just go and die. I'm so scared I can't stop shaking."</p><p>"Yes even I can feel the air that he is emitting." Kuma agreed. "I have never faced such an oppressive sensation. As we are now we cannot hope for a victory. We should retreat."</p><p>Mara scoffed. He was the only one who didn't look afraid but I could tell from his eyes that fear had a hold of him. "Retreat? The Great Mara would never retreat no matter the opponent. That said he will agree to a strategic withdraw if the situation demands for it."</p><p>"If we remain here there will be casualties, mostly on our side. For the safety of everyone in the group we should leave immediately."</p><p>I nodded and began to give an order of retreat. Just as I opened my mouth the man turned his eyes on us. They were as bloodred as his hair and as my gaze locked on them I felt myself freeze. It was like staring into the eyes of a vicious predator about to rip you limb from limb. I felt that if I spoke the man would be upon me in a second. My forehead sweat with perspiration and I found it harder to breathe all of a sudden. The man studied all of us critically before a smile broke out on his face. It was small and didn't reach his eyes.</p><p>"Well I wasn't expecting more visitors to come so soon. I only came to investigate this dragon business to see if I'd find a decent challenge. But when I got here I ran into these "Competitors" before it could spawn." The man pointed to the dead Soul Masters littered across the floor. "They spoke about getting the first turn since they were here before me. I found the notation to be nonsense and ignored them. Then they got hostile and dared raising their voices at me. My temper escaped me and I wound up killing them all. They barely put up a fight really. I was hoping that I'd get some excitement considering they outnumbered me but they fell quite easily. Some "Competitors" they were supposed to be."</p><p>He said Competitors as if it were an insult. The man's voice was smooth and calming as he spoke. It sent a chill down my back and echoed through my skull. I knew that voice would be haunting my nightmares for a long time if I managed to survive this encounter that is. He continued talking to us, his tone in mocking amusement.</p><p>"This beast was hardly any better of course. As you saw I didn't need to put in much effort. A shame that reanimated creatures no longer possess souls because I would have gladly feasted as compensation for my wasted time. Since you guys are here I wonder if you can provide me with the entertainment I desire. Your souls smell so enticing to me."</p><p>I tensed and so did the others. The man noticed our reactions and chuckled a sound that oddly enough was pleasant to hear. It made me cringe. "Oh my apologies. It seems I got too excited there. How rude of me not to introduce myself. You can call me Dread. Don't have a name anymore so it's all I've got." His eyes wondered to Aero who was glaring at him with intensity. Instantly his face lit up. "And you are a Reaper correct? This is the first time I met your kind."</p><p>Aero's eyes narrowed. "How the hell did you know what I was?"</p><p>Dread shrugged. "I've got an associate that gave me a basic description of your race. The most noticeable thing is the yellow and black eyes. The other giveaway is your aura, it stinks of death even from this far. Didn't expect to see one of you guys here. What's an heir of the Reaper family doing with mortals?"</p><p>"Tch, I don't like how informed you are about my family and me. Obviously I'm competing in this competition too. You should know that my father has forbid Soul Masters from killing each other in battle. That would make you disqualified." The Son of Death replied.</p><p>Dread smiled and did his creepy laugh again. "Ha that might be true if I was apart of this stupid competition."</p><p>"Then you are an outsider?"</p><p>"Bingo! I'm keeping an eye on things by the orders of my boss. Technically I am not supposed to get involve with any of the participants but I've been so bored lately that I couldn't hold myself back. I only wanted to fight the dragon but since those fools saw me I had to kill them before my presence was revealed to your old man."</p><p>I took a breath and mustered the courage to join the conversation, curiosity from his comment eating away at me. "I-Is your b-boss a w-woman?"</p><p>Dread looked at me, almost making my body jump in fright at his intimidating gaze. "Nope. Mine is an old fart. He's given me a lot of freedom to do whatever I wanted as long as I wasn't caught. And since you guys have noticed me I'm afraid I will have to silence you. But don't despair, your souls will all be apart of me so you'll never be lonely."</p><p>We all got into ready stances. I knew that we wouldn't be able to hold out long against this demon in human clothing and so I thought of how we could distract him so we could escape. I seriously doubted that we would be fast enough to run before he caught us, I had seen how fast he moved against the <strong>Zombie Dragon</strong>. As if reading my mind Dread looked toward the entrance and smiled.</p><p>"I can tell that you guys are planning to hold me of to make time for an escape. Too bad for you I won't allow that. Some of you could get away and I would be a pain chasing them down. No one will be getting out of here alive!"</p><p>He outstretched his hand and purple energy began to radiate around it. I turned and watched in horror as a huge purple wall blocked off the only escape route we had. Mara beat on it with all his might but the wall only rippled but didn't move. We were trapped like rats with a dangerous cat prepared to pounce on us!</p><p>Dread laughed at our terrified expressions. "Well it looks like running is out. Guess your only option is to fight me and die one by one. Though I doubt many of you will live up to my standards. Humans are so boring to fight so I'll save them for last." He pointed at Aero with a long bony finger. "You Reaper will be my first victim. I heard that your kind are one of the strongest in the Underworld. Show me how much you live up to your father's name."</p><p>Aero growled and stepped forward. I placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him but the boy shrugged me off. He leapt down to the ground with his scythe in hand while glaring at Dread. The man snapped his fingers and a wall of energy appeared before us, blocking off any idea of support we could give Aero. Then the two males began to circle one another, Aero's face set in a focused scowl while Dread was smiling from ear to ear. They kept that up for what felt like an hour before Aero yelled a battle cry and charged forward.</p><p>The boy swung his scythe at his enemy who easily raised his blade to stop it. He pushed Aero back but didn't attack him. The Reaper struck again with a slash of his weapon. Dread deflected the move with a quick flick of his sword and again did not counterattack his foe. Aero came at him with blow after blow which were either blocked or dodged by the crimson haired young man. As I watched it dawned on me that he wasn't attacking my partner because he was evaluating him. Dread must have been confident that he was in no immediate danger and was merely toying with him. Aero seemed to have noticed this too so he put distance between himself and his opponent.</p><p>He was now studying Dread carefully. The man raised an eyebrow at him before a wolfish grin appeared on his face. That irritated Aero who launched an energy shockwave at him. As the projectile came toward him Dread chuckled to himself.</p><p>"So simple."</p><p>With a wave of his hand the man destroyed the incoming attack effortlessly. My jaw widened in shock as so far no one had managed to dispel that move as easily as he had. Aero was equally surprised but recovered quickly before attacking Dread again. They engaged in another clash with Dread evading or blocking all of Aero's attacks while my partner continued to hammer away at him. Finally seeming like he had enough Dread suddenly moved close to Aero and kicked in with a crazy amount of force. The boy was sent flying back and collided with the wall. I winced as he slid to the ground and struggled to regain his feet.</p><p>Dread watched him with a bored expression on his face. "Is that all you've got? I'm sure you can do better than that."</p><p>Snarling with rage Aero picked up his scythe and lunged at Dread. I could tell that he was really losing it in this one sided battle. The Aero I knew normally maintained his calm while analyzing his opponent's every move. Not here though. Dread was the one in calm control while pushing Aero's buttons. I had never seen him as angry as this before.</p><p>"Aero calm down! If you keep letting him egg you on you'll fall right into his hands!"</p><p>"Shut up! I know how to fight!"</p><p>His tone made me wince as if he had just struck me. I had never heard Aero speak to me with such venom. It left me speechless and a little hurt. A sudden pain started to ache within my chest for some reason.</p><p>Dread glanced at me while fighting Aero off. He then focused on the son of Death with what looked like pity. "Tsk, tsk. Don't you know that it's rude to upset a woman's feelings? Especially since she seems like she cares for you so much?"</p><p>Aero gritted his teeth. "Leave her out of this! I'm the only one you should be worried about!"</p><p>"And yet so far you haven't done anything that has been worth my time. Your style is reckless and focuses only on nonstop attacking. I assume that you normally wouldn't make such sloppy mistakes but I suppose you are too clouded by anger to think straight. You should probably follow her advice if you intend to get the upper hand on me."</p><p>"Whatever! I won't lose to a maniac like you!"</p><p>Aero raised his palm while purple flames began to gather in it. Dread smirked at the display while holding his sword in a defensive stance. The son of Death formed the flames into a small orb the size of a baseball. With a yell he tossed it toward Dread with amazing speed. "<strong>Hellfire Fastball!</strong>"</p><p>The orb smashed into his foe and released an explosion that shook the entire room. Because of the barrier we were safe from the attack that had almost literally consumed the battle area of the two men. Aero was breathing heavily from exhaustion as the flames began to die down. When they did we were all horrified to see that Dread was completely unharmed. His sword had a big char mark on it but other than that not a single bit of damage was seen on his form. The man casually patted some leftover purple flames off his coat while addressing Aero.</p><p>"Not bad. That attack had a lot of power and control behind it that I hadn't expected. Against other monsters or humans it probably would have burned them to ashes. Guess that means you magic power is at least passable compared to your combat skills."</p><p>"Why..." Aero asked with a tremor in his voice. "Why aren't you burned? That move combined both fire and darkness energies. Plus Hellfire is one of the hottest flames we Reapers can control. It isn't possible to just shrug it off so easily."</p><p>Dread stabbed his blade into the ground while leaning on it. "Let me answer your question with another question. You just recently evolved didn't you?"</p><p>"The hell does that got to do with anything you red freak?"</p><p>"Thought so. That explains the flashiness of that technique and how you've gotten so far. The strength boost that evolving gives Underworld beings can be a little unbalanced. Well there are two reasons why your little attack didn't do anything to me. The most important being that I'm a lot stronger than you are."</p><p>Seeing Aero's confused face made Dread sigh. "Look you certainly are powerful in your own right. Being a Reaper and evolving gives you access to great strength that could be called being versatile. I can almost bet that you could defeat every monster in this realm on your own. Especially with your little friends there backing you up. Unfortunately there will always be someone in the world who makes that power seem insignificant. Whether monster or human there are plenty of ways that you can be surpassed by either. But it all comes down to the amount of souls you consume."</p><p>
  <em>"Souls?"</em>
</p><p>"You see despite the fact that I am mortal I possess a unique ability that allows me to devour souls much like you Underworld inhabitants can. Because of those souls that I have obtained through killing and fighting I have developed myself into a strong being, beyond the limits of normal humans. To a empowered individual like myself your Hellfire is nothing but a hot wind to me. In fact as you are now I doubt anything you do will be capable of killing me instantly."</p><p>The man righted himself while continuing his explanation. "As for the second reason your attack failed...Well that's really on you isn't it? That move was far too weak to damage me. Honestly I wonder if you were actually putting everything behind it. It had potential to do worse but it felt like you were holding back on me. Could it be that you haven't actually mastered the power of your evolved state yet?"</p><p>"What?! That can't be right!" Aero shouted defensively.</p><p>"I can sense that you have a lot more power within you that even you are aware of. So much in fact that if you had properly learned to master it I'd be in serious trouble. You seem to only be capable of releasing it in varied bursts ranging from controlled to destructive. While that would be dangerous to your enemies it would also endanger your allies. If my barrier wasn't there those friends of yours would be dead now. Or is it that you fired that attack without care for them? If so then perhaps you are more ruthless than I gave you credit for. As expected of a Reaper."</p><p>That couldn't have been true, could it? Aero wouldn't senselessly endanger our lives like that. He still needed me as his partner after all and the others were important allies to help reach our goal. We were his friends for god sake! Despite my words I remembered when I had first made my pact with Aero. His soul had felt so cold and isolated like it was made of ice. Even know despite being surrounded by people and forming our official party that hadn't changed. Had he ever thought of us as his allies? Even me who had agreed to partner with him in the very start of our journey? I suddenly had a terrible thought. If given the option would he abandon us if he decided we weren't useful anymore? If one of our friends were in danger would he leave them to save his own skin? I doubt he'd do that to me as he'd be eliminated if he did but the thought was still locked in my mind.</p><p>Aero didn't answer for a long time. Dread took this as a sign to continue. "Nevertheless you are seriously in need of more mastery before you can ever hope to be a threat to me. Really it is disappointing as I was expecting much more from a scion of the Reaper family. I suppose among all of your relatives you must be the weakest am I right?"</p><p>"Shut up..."</p><p>Suddenly as I watched Aero I noticed something unusual happening around him. From what I could see particles of purple energy began to leak out of his body and into the air. As this was happening I noticed a dramatic spike in Aero's aura that chilled me to the core. It felt even colder than it had been a second ago, a bottomless pit of frost that consumed all of the light that it originally had. It was similar to Dread's bloodlust but more focused, as if being directed toward the man itself over everything around him. The particles began to merge together at Aero's back until the formed what looked like dark tentacles which thrashed around wildly. When the boy raised his head to glare at Dread I was horrified to see that his eyes had become empty and emotionless. His irises were colored red that combined with the black areas around his eyes gave him a demonic appearance. I felt myself trembling in fear at the sight of my partner's form, and I wasn't the only one as I saw that the others were also looking in both terror and shock.</p><p>"Strength...You don't know what that is...I have strength...Power...I will destroy you...And consume your soul!"</p><p>With a monstrous yell that I had never heard before out of him Aero lashed his tentacles at Dread. The man dodged them and tried to move out of range. The appendages chased him at breakneck speed, swiping and trying to grab their retreating prey. Dread fended them off while making sure that he wasn't being cornered by the limbs. One managed to graze his face which I could see made him smirk. Gaining enough distance Dread wiped his thumb across the wound and licked the blood with a psychotic laugh.</p><p>"Now that's what I'm talking about! So these are your true colors huh?! Great...How exciting! It's good to see that despite all their esteem a Reaper is still a monster at heart! Entertain me more with this power! Attack me like you want to tear me piece by piece!"</p><p>Aero gave him his wish. The tentacles lunged back toward the red haired man with the intent of stabbing him. Dread knocked them away before deciding to go on the offensive himself. He brought his blade down on a few of the tentacles and managed to sever them. Unfortunately for him the appendages grew back at a fast rate and came right back at him. Dread evaded them while cutting them down but no matter what he did the limbs regenerated faster than they had moments ago. It reminded me of the story of the hydra, with every severed limb two more grew from the stumps.</p><p>Apparently Dread had also began to notice this problem as well. The next time the tentacles lashed out at him the man dodged and held out his hand. Crimson energy danced in his palm before firing out toward the appendages. As soon as it made contact with them the tentacles were not only severed but alight with crimson flames. The limbs thrashed and twitched in agony, unable to regenerate thanks to the fire damage being done to them. Eventually they fell to the ground and disintegrated.</p><p>The red haired man gave my partner a smug look. Aero didn't respond to the taunt and instead lunged forward, jumping with so much force that the ground exploded where he had been standing. Dread intercepted his attack easily, scythe struggling against sword. The earth cracked from the power of the two fighters. It was so intense that I saw the barrier rippling violently from the generating shockwaves. Aero kicked off Dread then tried to cut his throat. The man countered by ducking and smashing his fist into the boy's stomach, sending him sliding back. The Reaper didn't let up on the offensive on Dread but found that none of his attacks could connect.</p><p>As I continued to watch Aero's rampage I heard Abelia speak beside me. "He can't win."</p><p>I looked at her. "What?"</p><p>"I said he can't win. It's obvious just from watching that he is being toyed with. Not only that but he has completely succumbed to anger. If this battle continues he won't survive much longer."</p><p>"I agree." Penelope added. "This man is no ordinary fighter. He has been holding himself back to study the Reaper's power. Eventually I fear that he will grow bored and finish Aero off. None of us have a chance against a monster like this even if we fought against him together. Our only option is to redraw."</p><p>I could tell that she was right. Dread was too powerful for any of us to deal with. He wouldn't stay on the defensive forever and if he overwhelmed Aero than we would be next. We needed to escape and bring Aero back to his senses. But the problem was the barrier surrounding us. "How are we going to get around this barrier?"</p><p>Abelia crossed her arms. "Why don't you use that teleportation spell you did when we first met? Surely that could get us all far away from here."</p><p>"Well in order to use it the spell dictates that we need to all be touching. It's the only way I can teleport all of us out. But I can't get to Aero with this thing in the way."</p><p>Mara added into the conversation. "Then all we have to do is find a way to get rid of the barrier in front of us. Leave it to me! I'll hit this thing with so much energy it'll pop in no time!"</p><p>"That is...Actually a good idea." Said Abelia with a raised eyebrow. "If we can overload it with mana the barrier's structure would weaken and dissolve. Given that you can transfer energy I believe that you are the best person for the job."</p><p>"I-I can help too." Riley told us. "A-Abyss can also transfer energy. S-So if we w-work together we can destroy the barrier quicker than you c-could on your own."</p><p>Not wanting to be left out I also agreed to help out. "I might not be the best at transferring mana but if it helps me save Aero then I'll support you guys."</p><p>Mara smiled. "That's what I like to hear! Let's do this!"</p><p>The three of us placed out hands on the barrier and focused our magic power into it. I didn't exactly know what I was doing unlike the others so I just willed my energy into reacting the way that I wanted it to. At first nothing happened on my side. Then after a minute I noticed blue magic energy flow from my hands into the barrier. It mixed with Mara and Riley's and merged into one single stream of energy. I looked up at the barrier and noticed that it was beginning to ripple violently. I smiled before concentrating on forcing more of my mana into the obstacle along with the others.</p><p>Back to the battle Aero and Dread were having things were not looking good for my partner. Dread was no longer guarding against the Reaper's assault and was now unleashing an offensive of his own once again. He struck Aero with attacks so powerful that the boy was sent sliding backward despite blocking them with his scythe. Aero tried to cut back at him but to my surprise Dread grabbed the scythe blade and stopped it completely. Small drops of blood dripped from his palm as he held the weapon away from himself. Then he smashed a kick into Aero's chest, knocking the boy on his back and forcing him to release his scythe.</p><p>Aero growled while struggling to his feet. His eyes were bleeding black blood that trailed down his angry face. I noticed that his body was going about another more dramatic change. The son of Death now had ebony black angel wings jutting from his back along with devilish black horns growing out of the sides of his head. An aura of fear radiated off of him and it almost broke my concentration. This feeling…Something about it was very familiar to me. A memory suddenly flashed into my mind and made me wince in pain. There was a creature with horns and dark wings, glaring down at me with eyes full of malice. It looked just like Aero but larger and less humanoid. As it's eyes locked with mine for some reason I felt small, as if I were a mouse being stared at by a vicious cat. I wanted to run away, to crawl into a corner away from those demonic eyes.</p><p>"<em>Those eyes…Please stop looking at me with them! They make me feel so afraid! They want to hurt me! To kill me! Please make them stop! Somebody please keep this thing away from me!"</em></p><p>As the memory continued I felt tears flowing down my eyes. My whole body was shaking uncontrollably and I was hyperventilating. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the demonic creature's piercing gaze. It was like my soul was being laid bare before them. They were directing nothing but hatred towards me, as if judging me for being born. They held a deep grudge against me and I didn't know why. Looking into the memory more closely I noticed two shadowy figures standing on opposite sides of me, facing this monster. I couldn't make out who they were but they seemed to be protecting me from it. Muffled words were being spoken by the figures that I could not understand. Whatever was said had an effect on the demon however. It's hands came alit with flames that it raised in anger. The room I was in grew warm and started to catch fire. With a mighty bellow that made my blood run cold with terror the creature threw a fireball straight toward me.</p><p>"Fellie!"</p><p>I blinked in confusion. I was back in the ruin once again with my friends looking at me in concern. I looked over at the one who had called me from the nightmarish memory that I had been trapped within. Mara was scowling at me while Riley looked on with worry. The ninja boy saw that he had my attention and spoke again in the same voice that had saved me. "What happened to you? You took one look at Aero and started to lose it."</p><p>"Your e-energy w-was all o-over the p-place." Added Riley. "Y-You weren't responding t-to our v-voices f-for a while."</p><p>I shook my head so that I could return myself completely to reality. My mind felt slightly overloaded from the sudden memory and the rush of terror that I had experienced. Never before had that happened to me. While I was happy that a memory from my childhood had returned I hadn't liked that it was a terrifying one. What was that thing? Who were those people protecting me? When did this happen exactly? And why did Aero have the same eyes that monster had?</p><p>"S-Sorry about that." I responded. Now wasn't the time to worry about those questions. I needed to save Aero before he got himself killed. "I'm fine now. Let's keep going."</p><p>I returned my focus to the barrier again. It was slowly deconstructing thanks to our combined efforts. Just a little more and we would be through. I prayed that Aero could hold onto until we were finished.</p><p>In his new demon-like form Aero was doing better than he had been before. He fought like a whirlwind, punching and slashing at Dread with either his fists or his claws. One of his hits landed on Dread's forehead, carving a long cut across his scalp. The psycho only laughed before crashing his fist into Aero's cheek. In retaliation Aero kneed him in the gut. Dread coughed up a little blood then went for a counter of his own. This back and forth of blows between them went on for some time. I could see that Aero was receiving more injures from Dread because of his recklessness while the crimson haired man had only minor bruises and scratches. The fight was getting bloodier by the second, making me fear for Aero's condition as it drew on.</p><p>Finally Aero had enough of the melee and used his wings to gain distance. He began collecting hellfire around himself in the form of a tornado. It was so powerful that it was damaging the walls around us. Dread smirked but allowed him to charge his attack, no doubt confident that he could survive whatever the current Aero could throw at him. I saw that the hellfire was coming together into the boy's hand. It materialized a long sword of ebony black, beautifully flawless like the night sky. Though pretty it had a sinister glow to it that told me that it was an unnatural weapon. I wasn't sure why but I could tell that it was evil. Aero raised the blade high in the air, allowing the last fragments of hellfire to be absorbed into it. Then with vicious accuracy he launched the sword at Dread, leaving me to watch as it soared like a missile to its intended target.</p><p>When it collided with the psychopath the black blade exploded with the force of a nuclear explosion. A tremor passed through the earth almost knocking us off balance. Debris crumbled from the ceiling and fell toward us. Kuma erected a wall of wind to deflect it away from crushing us. The red barrier that Dread had conjured had once again protected us from the blazing heat from Aero's technique. If it hadn't I doubted even my own barrier would have survived such an attack. Aero wasn't showing any restraint in his assault any longer, he was generally trying to destroy everything around him now. Though for some reason I felt that whatever this was…Wasn't my partner in control at all.</p><p>When the flames and smoke died down I saw that Dread was standing in the center of the room. A crimson aura surrounded him like a personal shield, leaving him protected from Aero's move. However it didn't completely safe him. Some parts of his face had been scorched black from the hellfire. His coattails were torn and flapping wildly at his back. A drop of blood dripped from his lips too as the man flashed a wicked smile. Beyond those wounds the man did not show any sign of pain or fatigue. It was if he was immune to the pain.</p><p>Dread raised his sword to his shoulder and examined the damage around him. His dark grin widened even more at the chaos before his eyes went back to Aero, who unlike him was breathing heavily from what he had just done. "That was the <strong>Hellfire Blade </strong>wasn't it? I didn't know that you Reapers could summon it. I've only heard the rumors but they don't do the real thing justice. Those flames were strong enough to completely annihilate a high level Demon. Never thought I'd be the one to taste it personally."</p><p>"I suppose I have to give you some credit though. Anyone who can use that weapon is an opponent worthy of my attention. Though I seriously doubt you could call it up in your normal state. It would be a real pain if I had to get you angry every time just to draw it out. In fact you probably wouldn't be this powerful if you weren't in a state of rage right now. That is the only shameful thing about fighting you. You possess so much potential yet are a slave to emotion. You are nowhere near the level of your father that's for sure but I will acknowledge how far you are willing to go. As a reward I shall end you with only the bare minimum of my true power."</p><p>After saying these words Dread raised his fully gloved hand. What happened next would horrify me for a very long time. The back of the glow split open revealing a long slit in the man's pale flesh. The slit began to move and spread apart, where a large eyeball could be seen within. It had a large red iris that matched Dread's now glowing crimson eyes along with a black pupil. It blinked a few times and I felt my stomach churn in disgust. The eye looked around the room before settling on Aero, then it dilated and intensified. Suddenly a rush of crimson energy exploded from Dread's form like a fiery geyser. It was more intense and focused than Aero's aura had been, quickly overtaking his own in a matter of seconds. The chaotic energy spread to Dread's blade then he raised and pointed it at Aero.</p><p>I could sense the battle was about to take a dangerous shift for the worse. We needed to hurry and get to Aero now. I poured as much of my mana into the barrier as I could, not caring if I ended up passing out from energy exhaustion. As much as I was afraid of Aero I needed him if I wanted to find my sister's soul. He could use me as much as he liked as long as I got what I needed in the end. I would not let him die here! Come on break you stupid barrier!</p><p>Despite my concentration I managed to catch a glance at what Dread was doing. The man was now holding his glowing red blade pulled back close to his body in a thrusting motion with his other hand positioned forward. It gave the appearance like he was about to throw something similar to how I had seen spear throws do on the internet. His eyes were blazing with chaotic fire that only intensified as the aura around his sword got stronger. For some reason Aero had not moved from his spot, instead he was clutching his chest with a pained expression on his face. Black energy was pouring out of his body like he had sprung a leak. The boy used his other hand to hold his forehead to soothe whatever was ailing him but it didn't look like it was working. My heart was beating like a drum, begging for him to sense the danger he was in and get out of the way. But it fell on deaf ears as Dread suddenly thrust his weapon out toward Aero and a crimson beam of energy fired from it's tip speeding straight toward my distracted partner.</p><p>With the next second the beam attack slammed into Aero with the same amount of force that the boy had used on Dread previously, except it was ten times stronger than the <strong>Hellfire Blade </strong>had been. The son of Death was pierced through the chest by the move and launched into the wall behind him. A pillar crumbled apart and fell down onto Aero with a sickening crunch. A plume of smoke obscured my vision of him so I couldn't tell what condition he was in. When it finally cleared my breath caught in my throat. Aero was lying under the pillar completely motionless with his face covered in blood. One of his horns had broken off while his left wing was bent at a bad angle. The boy's torso was pinned below the structure, preventing him from moving. I couldn't tell if he was still alive or dead but it was obvious that he wasn't getting back up.</p><p>Dread began to walk toward my downed partner with his crimson aura having died down. I redoubled my efforts in my work. The sight of Aero being in pain made me feel weak inside. I had to save him. I couldn't let our journey end here. If I really had some crazy unknown power inside me I pleaded with it to help me now. It had worked for me before so this should be no different. Please, please give me the strength to protect my partner!</p><p>The crimson haired man stopped before Aero and stared down at him. "Ah so you even managed to survive an attack from me at full strength did you? The endurance of a Reaper is quite amazing to see in action. But it appears that our time together must come to an end my friend. Don't worry though for I will be sending your friends to join you so you won't feel alone as you pass on. And your family will be next to follow. Every single member of the nobility will fall one by one before the might of our organization. It'll be only a matter of time."</p><p>He raised his sword above his head and prepared to skewer through Aero. With as much emotion as I could muster and with anger in my hear I screamed and released all of the power within my body. To everyone's surprise the barrier shattered instantly like glass, finally allowing us to enter the battlefield. I didn't wait for a second at the presented opportunity. Jumping higher than I ever had before I launched myself toward the two fighters. Dread noticed me approaching and turned to face me. He brought his sword around to attack me and my heart sank with the fear of death approaching me and a fast rate. What was I thinking leaping at him like that? I was so driven by my own feelings that I hadn't thought my actions threw. Now I was about to foolishly die alongside the very person I was trying to save. Just as I had regained one of my lost memories too. Yet also before I could find any clues about the sister I was so determined to find. Man was I a complete failure of a human being. Hopefully I can join sis in whatever afterlife she had been sent to. That would be nice.</p><p>However I saw a jet of wind pass by me and collide with Dread who had barely changed the direction of his blade to block it. I turned my head to see Kuma zoom past me with her katana drawn. She swung it at Dread but the man easily stopped her attack and fended her off. They exchanged hyper fast blows while I ran over to check on Aero. I first checked his pulse to see if he was still breathing and sighed in relief that he was. Then I focused my attention on the fallen pillar and pushed with all my might to move it. The structure was giving me a lot of trouble which was making me increasingly frustrated. Just as I was about to give into despair a rush of power began to flow through my body. Suddenly I heard the voice of a man enter my mind.</p><p>"<em>Strength increase of Cloak has been accepted based on will of the user. Growth in power has been raised by 70%. You are free to move the pillar now."</em></p><p>Whoa! Where had that come from? I noticed that my cloak was now glowing with a faint purple light. I remembered what Aero had said about the strange power that it possessed. Was the voice I heard coming from the cloak itself?</p><p>"<em>Correct. It is very nice to meet you Master."</em></p><p>It could read my mind?! No that couldn't be possible. This was nothing but a piece of magically enhanced fabric. Clothes couldn't talk. I must have just been hallucinating from the fear.</p><p>"<em>Wrong. I am quite capable of speech and communication. The reason that you can hear me currently is because of our every increasing synchronization with one another. Thanks to the battles you have fought I managed to gain enough of my former willpower to convey myself to you. I hope you will not mind."</em></p><p>I decided to humor this mysterious voice. "Okay. So you're the reason why I'm feeling all of this amazing strength right? Why are you helping me now? And what do you mean former willpower?"</p><p>"<em>All excellent questions that I shall tell you about later. For now I believe that you have a job to go. With the power that I have given you should be more than capable of moving this obstruction. I would hurry it up and prepare the escape spell before your allies get overwhelmed."</em></p><p>Glancing back toward my friends I saw that they were struggling with Dread. Mara and Abelia were attacking him in coordination but the man was batting them away with ease. Kuma was a distance away healing a long cut that she had received on her right side, leaving the others to fight for themselves. Dread dodged a stab to the face from Abelia and smacked away a punch from Mara. He grabbed the boy's collar and tossed him aside like a ragdoll. Abelia fired a beam of light from her rapier that dissipated on contact with his body. Dread tried to slash her but Penelope phased in and locked his sword in between her daggers. She began to freeze the weapon however Dread savagely crashed his fist into her cheek. As the girl fell he kicked her so hard she smashed into the wall. Riley tried for a sneaky stab to his back but Dread apparently sensed his approach. With speed that betrayed his tall appearance he sidestepped before slamming his elbow down on my friend's head. The boy groaned and collapsed to the ground, twitching in obvious pain from the brutal blow.</p><p>Abelia glanced over to me watching them and gritted her teeth before yelling. "What are you doing dumbass! Hurry up and get us out of here before he decides to go for the kill!"</p><p>Her harsh voice broke me out of my inaction. Turning back to Aero I pushed the pillar with both hands. It rolled off him easily and crashed to the ground. Then I used my new super strength to lift his arm around my shoulder and raise him to his feet. While that was happening I split my focus to preparing my spell, something I never did before but to my surprise I was able to do. I felt the flow of fresh energy enter my body like never before, it felt incredible and invigorating. Unlike before it took my almost no time to cast.</p><p>Abelia did her best to keep Dread busy with Mara beside her. However it mattered not because they were simply smacked down again. Mara created shadow clones to confuse Dread but the man laughed and blew them all away with a shockwave from his sword. Then he shoulder tackled the real Mara to the ground. Abelia thrust her rapier at his exposed side but the man deflected the attack and moved close to her. Before Abelia could react she was grabbed by the throat and lifted into the air. Dread grinned at her choking expression, squeezing her neck sadistically as he savored her pain.</p><p>"You weaklings should have waited your turn like I told you to. Now instead of taking you out one at a time I'll simply kill you all at once. Talk about spoiling my fun."</p><p>"<strong>Bang"</strong></p><p>I fired a bullet from one of my guns that was infused with fire magic. It exploded against Dread's face and he dropped Abelia in order to wave it off. I had decided to bide my time until Dread had let his guard down before attacking. I figured that as long as he was distracted his defenses wouldn't be as strong as they would have been. And I was right judging from how surprised he had been from my spell, even though I knew that it hadn't done any damage. On the downside however I had gotten his attention.</p><p>"You!" Dread hissed as he focused on me.</p><p>I knew that having him look at me was completely stupid but if I hadn't reacted he would have killed Abelia. I wasn't going to let this bastard harm anymore of my friends as long as this power was flowing through me. I pointed my gun at him and prepared to shoot off another fire bullet. Dread didn't wait for me to charge up my attack and had closed the distance faster than I was expecting. He swung his sword toward my neck to decapitate me, however I smiled. He had fallen into my trap.</p><p>The man's sword sliced through me or should I say the illusion of me that I had created before I had first shot him. I understood that Dread was a fast opponent and would catch me before I could use any of my spells. So I created a realistic illusion with my same energy signature to make him think it was the real me. So while he was busy attacking the fake I had managed to gather all my friends together safely. The spell of transportation was already being cast from my mind without words. I was thankful for the boost of power that I was feeling shorting the casting time for my spell. Without it Dread would have killed me in an instant.</p><p>Seeing that he had been duped the red haired psycho turned around to face me. I almost lost my nerve with the savage glare in his eyes however I returned it with one of my own. Dread lunged for me but it was already too late. I finished the spell and we were transported out of the dungeon, his sword only a few inches from my chest.</p><p>I had set the spell to take us to a safe location that we could use for rest and recovery. Appearing in a empty destroyed building I collapsed to my knees while Kuma and Abelia helped me position our friends so they could relax properly. I checked everyone's injures. Mara had a few bruises on his body but was otherwise alright. Penelope's cheek was swollen from the punch she had received from Dread and her lip was split. Riley's head was bleeding savagely and would need to be properly treated for it to heal. Honestly he was lucky that he wasn't in a worse state, most likely it was thanks to his hardened skin. Abelia had a hard time speaking so I gave her some water that we had collected a hours ago. Kuma had fixed all of her wounds but her kimono had a long tear in it. All in all everyone was alive, beaten and brutalized but thankfully alive.</p><p>Aero was the only one worse for wear. I could see the gaping hole in his torso from Dread's attack. Beyond that the boy had several broken bones and a long gash on his forehead that was hidden by the blood there. His wings and horns were gone so he was back to his normal state. Still memories of his demonic form stayed in my head. I never thought that I would be afraid of Aero but after today I don't think I'll be able to see him the same way again. I buried my feelings and put my all into healing those who needed it. My boost was gone and fatigue hit me like a wave but I refused to pass out until everyone was alright.</p><p>Kuma and I managed to heal all three of our injured friends. It took a lot out of my mana reserves and I barely had any left to spare. I turned to Aero and did my best to heal his most serious wound. The white light of healing phased in and out of existence, never being able to last even when I concentrated. The world began to spin and before I knew it I was falling to the side. Kuma caught me before my head hit a rock and placed me back first on the nearby wall. I tried to fight her off and get up but the girl pushed me down once again. She spoke in a gentle tone.</p><p>"Rest. You have done more than enough for one night. I shall take your place in healing Aero. Sleep and regain your strength."</p><p>I shook my head. "No, I can-"</p><p>"A good leader should know when to rest my friend." Interrupted Kuma. "Please just trust in me. I promise you that he will not die. A warrior always keeps their word."</p><p>I sighed. I guess I had no choice but to believe her. I was way too tired to argue anyway. Closing my eyes I tried to sleep but too many thoughts plagued my mind. Who was that Dread guy? What was his objective? What is his organization? What was that memory? Who was that demon? And most importantly of all, why did Aero look so much like it?</p><p>When I did fall asleep I was immediately assaulted by a nightmare. In it I saw the demon from my memory again. It was glaring down at me with eyes like burning embers. It took a step toward me and it's appearance changed until it became a figure that I recognized. It was Dread who was glaring at me now. He smirked wickedly while raising his gloved arm. The man held up the back of his arm and I watched in horror as the eyeball from before blinked at me. It's stare felt like it was trying to burn a hole through me. Then it began to bleed and closed itself. Dread took another step toward me and his form changed again. It shrank slightly and took on a monstrous look. When it was finished my heart sank as I knew who the person was before me.</p><p>Standing right over me was the demonic form of Aero. The boy was covered in shadows with glowing crimson eyes glaring down at me. His teeth were as sharp as razors and his wings blocked out all light. My eyes traced down his hands and I saw that they ended in wicked black claws. Demon Aero snarled at me while releasing an aura of killing intent. I was so scared that I curled myself into a ball, trembling and wishing for this all to be some horrible dream. This couldn't be Aero right? He was supposed to be the cool, angsty type of person not a violent monstrosity. Sure he could be frightening at times but this was a bit much don't you think? He would never hurt me.</p><p>But to my disappointment this Aero's intent was to harm me. He took a final step forward until he was on top of me and I was looking up into his angry red eyes. I couldn't move nor could I breathe. I could only watch as the angel of death came to claim my soul. Demon Aero raised a clawed hand high into the air, his face masked by a cold darkness. Then he brought his claws down toward my head in a powerful slash and a vicious growl.</p><p>I vaguely remembered my cries of terror as my head left my body, eyes open with an expression of pure fear on my face. And then to my relief I woke up, to a brand new day full of surprises and an unexpected change.</p>
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